Frost Iron Rise
by Laura JN
Summary: Tony is re-working some of the dynamics for his suit, when the god of thunder pays him a visit. He has a quest for him. Loki has been a prisoner of Asguard for too long, and he is descending further than Thor is comfortable with. He wants Tony to bring him back up. Tony's suspicious is aroused at why he has been chosen for the job.
1. Iron

Stark tower, now with only the letter 'A' remaining on display, was undergoing reconstruction work on the damage inflicted by the recent alien invasion. Tony was happy to keep the 'A' as it was, realizing it could stand for 'Avengers'. Under normal circumstances he would have had his surname restored with the rest of the building, however Dr. Banner was now living there too, and he was frequently visited by other members of the team. S.H.I.E.D were keeping their distance for now, but who knew when they would next darken his doorstep.

Tony Stark was tweaking and tinkering with his current project. He wanted to make his inventions more appealing visually as well as being fully functional. He was done with weapons trade: It had been going on for far too long, and now he was more interested in creating useful tools and machines that would be useful to the public. He did not want to please the average lazy person by making something that did all of their work for them. He simply wanted to create a better quality of life for those who needed it, and maybe create more time for people to spend with their families. Right now though, he was having a break from all this selflessness, and was reworking the dynamics and design of his next suit.

Tony had been frustrated over the past few weeks, in more ways than one. He had drifted away from Pepper, who had begun to see a change in Tony. It was a change that Tony himself was confused by. He could not place it, but he just felt differently, and that had made Pepper choose to put some distance between them. Tony remembered how strange it had been for him when she had explained to him. She had said that he was still the same person, but something had been altered by the events surrounding the invasion. Tony had let her go. He still did not know why. He had kicked himself for allowing her to walk away from something that had clearly been working out. But then he had also felt right in his decision. He wondered if they simply weren't meant for each other, or if he was really just loosing the last remaining fibres of his sanity. Subconsciously, a part of him had moved somewhere else, though he had no idea where: It had gone on that day when the Avengers had won, and Tony had saved the planet by redirecting a missile into the heart of the enemy space ships. Something that had happened that day had left a gap in him though. He had turned to his machines for consolation.

The billionaire philanthropist playboy was just setting up his airbrush to give the armour a nice coat of paint, when he heard thunder in the hallway.

"Oh great," Tony mumbled, "Goldilocks has come for dinner. She'll gobble up the contents of my fridge."

"Who is this famished woman of whom you speak?" Came the enthusiastic male voice, as Thor strode happily into the room. "And greetings to you old friend!" Tony did not recall these supposed many years of buddy-hood with the Norse god, but he let it go,

"Oh hey, Thor; I wasn't expecting you. As you can see I'm a tad busy right now and..." Tony stopped making excuses as the bulk of a man was clearly not listening. Thor was peering down at one of Tony's old models for a type of bazooka. Tony winced as his hand moved to his forehead, his brow furrowing, "Thor, man you really don't want to touch that."

"What is this exactly? It vaguely resembles a Midguardian hair drying device." Thor lifted up the weapon as if it were no heavier than a pistol. Tony thought the all-muscle man must have no difficulty getting women to like him, especially with that puppy like behaviour of his. Thor saw Tony's horrified expression as he swung the gun around, so he put it carefully back on its stand. "I actually came here with a request." Thor finally moved on to the reason for his untimely arrival,

"Please say it doesn't involve aliens." Tony sighed,

"Not quite. It is my brother you see." Thor began, causing Tony's ears to prick up. He could not help but remember the intense encounter he had experienced with the god of mischief and lies. He had felt strange: unnerved, challenged, and yet somehow in awe of him. Loki was not a man one forgot so easily. "He has been imprisoned for a while now, but he will not give in to my pleas. After only an hour of imprisonment, his boredom sent him mad." Tony was surprised that Loki could achieve a new level of mad,

"Thats hardly surprising, being locked up and all. Prisoners do that." Tony commented,

"Perhaps, but a week later he began making... requests." Thor's tone told Tony more than he had meant to,

"He's not really in a position to be making demands. What does he have that you want?" He asked the god of thunder,

"His old self. I want my brother back, Tony Stark. I want the old Loki." Tony Nodded,

"And what were his demands?" Thor hesitated before replying,

"He wishes to negotiate. He wants company. He becomes angry when I try to speak with him. Yet when I asked him who he would speak with, he said that he wished to know more about Midguardian 'technology.' He said that when he tried to take control of you, that something about you would not let him. He wants to know why." Thor paused there, seeing the confused look on Tony's face,

"I don't think its a good idea to tell the bad guys how all my tricks work. My arc reactor must be what stopped him, but I don't want him knowing that. If he ever escaped, he could find away to use it against me." Tony hoped that Thor was not ignorant enough to let this information slip in front of his brother.

"I understand, however I would like you to come back with me to Asguard and aid me in keeping Loki from going over the edge. I fear that I have had too large a part to play in his undoing to be of any good to him now." Tony found it amusing that this god still had hope for his brother, after everything that he had done.

"Well I'd love to help you Thor, buddy, but I'm needed here. I gotta get this done before my current suit gets bashed up inevitably in some natural disaster or whatever war some idiot gets us into." Thor looked crestfallen upon hearing these words, until Tony saw a spark in his blue eyes,

"It is a shame Stark, I was going to introduce you to some of the finest Asguardian women. We could all dine together." Tony blinked. Dinner with goddesses? Thor knew how to bargain.

"I'm listening." Tony said, wanting to milk this offer for all it was worth,

"And you would be served by the palace staff of course." Tony did have the best servant in the world, as well as all the money one man could possibly need. Thor would have to do better than that, "And I am sure, that if you succeed in helping my brother, that Odin will reward you." Tony sucked in a breath,

"What kind of rewards does the all-father hand out? Eight legged ponies? Arranged marriages to warrior princesses?"

"If you earn it." Thor smiled. Tony was not sure that he wanted an eight legged horse, however it sounded as if the sky was the limit with this guy.

"Say, for a moment, that I was to go along with this." Tony began pacing around the room, "If I was needed here. If something happened on earth, would you be able to send me back?"

"Of course. The Bifrost has been repaired enough for the occasional trip, so we are only using it for emergencies and important visits such as this one. Heimdall would alert us immediately if anything were to happen that would require your attention." Tony nodded as he continued pacing,

"I suppose I could give it a shot. But if Loki, if your bother isn't showing any signs of cooperating after a few days, I'm coming straight back." Thor's face lit up,

"Thank you for kindly accepting this quest." He said, slapping Tony on the back: causing him to crash into his desk, "Oh sorry. I forget my strength." Thor's expression was indeed apologetic, but Tony grumbled.

After a shot of brandy, Tony dragged himself back over to where Thor was. He had the new rings for his suit on his wrists, and he was carrying the suit in it's compacted form of a briefcase. Thor then lead Tony to the Bifrost sight.

Tony was not sure what to make of the rainbow bridge. It made him wonder if Thor had not really entered his room but if someone had slipped an LSD into his drink. This thought was seeming more likely, until the light of the Bifrost died down, and he could make out the city in front of him. Asguard. It was like nothing he had ever seen. The shining towers of light rose in tall spires, making the city look like a beacon. That was, Tony realized, probably what it was. A beacon of hope. He smiled, wondering if he would faint at some point from shock. He had seen a lot of strange things in the past few months though, so despite the overwhelming presence of the celestial place, he swallowed and strode forwards onto the bridge.

On the bridge Tony was greeted by a very tall man who made him think immediately of a Minotaur, but then he remembered that was a Greek legend, and that all this was supposed to be Norse. He did not know much about mythology though, so who was he to try and differentiate? He just nodded to the guy, trying not to think about how the man seemed to ooze power just from standing there. His image alone was imposing. It was the armour, Tony told himself. He wanted to believe that in jeans and a T, the god would be his equal. Yes, jeans made everything casual.

Heimdall nodded back to Tony, before switching off the Bifrost to let it cool down. He returned to his position on the bridge to see that Tony was walking away faster than necessary. Heimdall chuckled to himself in his deep voice, leaning slightly on his staff.

Tony was trying not to look down. He was not afraid of heights, and he had flown into space before, but the bridge was not wide enough to hide the vastness of the chasm below them. The abyss was not dark, but Tony could see how far he would fall if he did somehow go too near the edge. The bridge was, however, far too wide for this to be a problem. Tony just kept walking, trying to focus on the reward that he might receive if he should succeed. Seeing the city was an enticing prospect, and he wanted to try some of this Asguardian mead he had heard so much about.

As they reached the end of the bridge, Thor stopped. Tony turned, to see the god hesitating,

"Something you haven't told me?" Tony's eyebrow raised of its own accord,

"Only this. You should know, that you are the first human being to enter these walls." Tony could take the hint. He would need to pay attention to how everyone behaved. He did not usually care who he pissed off, but if he came across Odin, the last thing he wanted to do was offend him.

"I have to ask," Tony braved the question, "What happens to anyone who makes your father angry?" He swallowed again,

"It depends. I was stripped of my powers and exiled until further notice. Loki was imprisoned, gagged and tied. And we are his closest family. You do not wish to know how he treats those he does not care about who betray him. But fear not, you have come honourably to do us a favour. He will not wish to make an enemy of Midguard either." Thor finished explaining, and seemed to have freed himself of a large burden. Tony still felt that he was missing something though. Why would they suddenly allow a human being into Asguard after the thousands of years they had been forbidden, just to keep a prisoner company? It was all highly suspicious, but for now Tony would play along. Once he had a better idea of what he would be dealing with, he could decide to leave or stay and try to complete his 'quest'.

Part of Tony was strangely looking forward to seeing Loki. He wanted to know what it looked like. He wanted to see what it was like to fight to become king, only to fail and wind up bound and locked away. Tony had never been the spectator before. As he thought about this, he was beginning to wonder if perhaps he was the right guy for the job. He had been there. He had had his low moments. His company had done more damage than Loki. He had done good too though. Tony knew how to rise from the ashes. He might just be able to help Loki, if he wanted to be helped.

They strode forward through the city gates, and something rose inside Tony. He could not name it, but it filled him with something good, as he drew nearer to the people of Asguard. They were simply dressed, yet elegantly. The men were somehow different to mortals; perhaps it was something in their eyes. There was an eternal desire for all the men here, Tony could see no greed in the hearts of these people. He was not far off believing in heaven, when they were only walking past the first tower.

The buildings grew more grand and tall as they approached the palace. Thor told Tony that Loki was being held deep underground in a guarded cell. Tony wondered what it was like, living in all this splendour, then being taken captive where you could not see it. To be brought up with royalty, only to learn that your perception of your own existence was a lie. Loki had been adopted by the all-father, but was told that he was his son. Growing up as an equal to the heir to the throne, but knowing he never had a chance at it. Thinking you were second only in the eyes of your father. Tony swallowed for a third time.


	2. Ice

Loki was sitting with his back to the wall. He liked to keep an eye on what was happening around him. When you are in a cell, you find new ways to occupy yourself: For Loki it was currently watching a tiny creature climb slowly down the wall. He was fascinated by its cautious movement, even though it would be better to leap ahead. Loki had taken to thinking up proverbs to go with his observations to keep him entertained. He could not really call it entertainment though. He knew he was tipping too far over the edge of insanity. He was a clever god, and he liked being able to calculate and plan, so loosing it completely would be much to his disadvantage. So he clung onto the remaining threads, even though he could not see what they were, and kept himself from crossing that line.

The god of mischief and lies ran a hand through his long, dark hair. It had grown a little since he had been imprisoned, and as a captive, he had been unable to slick it back in his usual preferred style. He wanted to get it cut, but they would not let him anywhere near sharp objects. His eyes were greener than ever with jealousy for his brother. How dare this buffoon be allowed to ascend to the throne over him? After all that he had done for his family, his home. He had accomplished so much, learned of magic and science that could have been of service to the people of Asguard. Instead here he was, with his arms locked behind his back, left to wallow in his grief and misery. He would not though. He was proud of what he had tried to achieve. What he had achieved. Why should he suffer for what Thor had never had the guts to do?

The footsteps began quietly down the long, corridor. All of Asguard was grand and beautiful, but the prison was grand in a very different way. It was bleak and oppressive. There were no quirks to the architecture or artistic flares in the rooms. There was only light and shadow, on the overbearing walls of the dungeon. The footsteps echoed, though the sound muffled with each prisoner it passed, and grew louder as the figures drew closer to Loki. He did not bother to look up. It could be either of two possibilities: Guards on patrol, or the agonizingly nauseating god of thunder, come to plead with him to see 'sense' as he called it. The thought made Loki want to laugh until his lungs were sore. His lungs were already sore though, as were most parts of his now malnourished body.

Half way down the corridor, the footsteps stopped. Loki was not paying attention, so he did not hear the conversation between the two men,

"You should speak with him alone. He becomes enraged in my presence, or worse..."

"Worse?"

"Hysterical." One pair of footsteps began walking back down the corridor, away from Loki, while the other approached him. He had recognized one voice as Thor's, though he had chosen to ignore it, and presumed that the one now striding towards him was the idiot himself. Loki smirked, wondering how to make the best of this visit. Should he tease the lovelorn god by pretending to out of his mind? Or perhaps he should raise his hopes, before crushing them completely. These were, in fact, the only ways in which Loki could stand to be anywhere near the righteous one. As the footsteps finally stopped in front of his cell however, Loki became aware that Thor had never been light footed, nor had he ever worn what Midguardians called 'jeans'.

Loki looked up to see Thor exiting the dungeon through the door at the end of the corridor, then gazed up higher, to see the man lounging against the wall opposite from him. The corners of Loki's mouth raised in amusement. What was a mortal doing in Asguard? Why would they send a Midguardian to see him? Was the all-father that desperate? He chuckled hoarsely: He had not used his voice much at all since he had been imprisoned, though he had shouted at Thor upon occasion, until he had decided that it was only serving to hurt his throat and lungs. That had caused him to settle upon teasing and toying with his ignorance. It was so easy to manipulate the emotions of the one who had left him feeling so bereft for all of his life. It satisfied Loki to see the hurt and discomfort on the puppy's face. He was always left with a deep sense of emptiness though, after every encounter, whether they fought or not. Now it would seem that Thor had given up on him at last, and sent someone else to do his dirty work for him. And Loki had questions for this man.

Tony Stark had his back to the cold, hard wall. He was not sure what to make of this place. He had seen prisons far more dingy and rotten than this one, but none had been quite so eerie and sinister as this. He had felt the weight upon entering the corridor, the sadness and anger that hung in the air around him. It was not Tony's style at all,

"Listen buddy," Tony began, his eyes to the floor, "This ain't exactly my area of expertise but I don't think this place is doing much good for your sanity any more than your doe-eyed brother."

"Ha!" Loki almost choked at the way the man spoke of Thor, "Believe me, I'd rather spend an eternity in this place than one more second with that lummox, who by the way, is _not_ my brother." Tony could almost feel the malice in those words. The god was jesting, playing along with Tony's chosen style of conversation, but there was real hatred in his gruff voice. He could feel the hurt too. Tony only knew the very surface of why this man had fallen out with his family, but he was beginning to wonder how much of it was actually Loki's fault.

"Well you don't have to talk to him today. He sent me instead. Lucky you." Tony flashed his most charming smile,

"Lucky _you_." Loki bit back, "You have all the time in the world to talk to a god. Does that not sound _fun_?" He smiled slyly. Tony was not sure what to make of that,

"Oh I'm afraid I won't be the one talking. I'm here on a 'quest' you see." Loki's gaze was now scrutinizing, as he searched the man for humour or sincerity. He was relieved to see humour, and not a waste of time, here to probe him for useless information. Instead Loki had a new play thing: He would wring this human dry, before laughing as they sent him back, cowering to his own realm,

"And what do you endeavour to have me say?" Loki tasted the air between them, his curiosity rising quickly around this strange, chaotic creature. Tony had his own rules, and his own ideals. Loki had had his forced upon him, until he had turned against them all. What had allowed this man to find freedom? But Loki supposed that even now he was being used. On Asguard they called it power, and on Midguard they called it wealth, but this so called billionaire was here, doing some menial errand for an oaf. What hope was there for the sorcerer?

"You can say what you like." Tony's head cocked to the side slightly, "I'm here to brighten up your life apparently." Loki guffawed,

"Brighten up my what?" He had to roll over onto his side to stiffle the sound, as his laughter rolled out from the pit of his stomach, "Have they lost that much pride? To send me a jester?" Tony was surprised to see that the god's tone had noticeably lightened, whether he was aware of it or not,

"Anyway, I'm going to see about them finding you a less... dispiriting room to stay in. Prisoner or not. This place would make the craziest guy feel worse." Tony watched as the chuckles finally died down, and the god turned back to face him,

"Why how caring of you. Next you will send someone to warm my bed. Hell they may as well throw me back into my own chamber. It was not much more pleasant I assure you." Something strange gleamed in Loki's forest eyes for a second, before retreating to the back of his mind. Tony decided he would have to look at that room. If he was going to help this guy, he'd need a better idea of what he was dealing with. So far, he could only see a long task ahead of him. But he had already got the guy joking right? Perhaps it was worth sticking around for a while, at least until progress ceased. What was the next step after amusement anyway? Tony wondered; surely acceptance was supposed to come first? Did that mean Loki was already fully aware of what had caused his own downfall? Or perhaps that was the whole problem: That Loki knew exactly what was wrong with him, and felt powerless to help himself. Tony was not surprised, it did not look like this guy had any friends. Okay, so perhaps trust was the next step.

"My room wasn't exactly homely, but then neither was _home_." Tony instantly regretted the statement,

"You wish to compare your pathetic constructs with the grandeur of Asguard? I am a _god_. I grew up in a palace built for _gods_. What do you think it is like to have that taken from you? To be denied the throne after all that time..." Loki seemed to be speaking as if to someone else,

"And now you're in a prison built for _gods_." Tony stood up, and walked over to the cell, gripping the bars with his hands, "I may not have been through the extremes of heaven and hell, but believe me I know what its like to fall. I also know how to get back up again."

"Huh," Loki's glared right up at him, "You seem to be under the impression that there is somewhere for me to get back up _to_." Tony paused. He had to win this argument if he was going to have any hope of convincing Loki to trust him,

"I couldn't see it either: But it was there, and it turns out all I needed was someone to show me the way." When Loki did not reply, Tony began walking away, "I'm going to get something to eat. I'll talk to someone about getting you out of here. I wonder where a guy can get shwarma around here."


	3. Fire

After feasting on the most delicious food that Tony had ever tasted, he asked a guard to take him to Thor. He had not been allowed to dine with the royal family, and though he had expected this, the egotistical part of him was pissed off. He put on his most polite, persuasive and utterly charming manners however, as he would need them to get Thor to solve his problems for him. And why should he not? Thor wanted him to work indefinitely for a possible reward, who was he to say no to a little task to get Tony going. Unless he could get Loki out of that cell, and into a room with some natural light, this was never going to work. He needed Loki cheerier, and he needed his trust. Tony had said that he would try to get him out of that dungeon, and he intended to keep his word where possible.

The guard lead Tony up several flights of elegant, winding staircases, before asking him to wait while permission was sought for him to enter Thor's chamber. Though Tony was on friendly terms with the god, now that he was on Thor's turf, he could not help but feel a little smaller. This feeling soon subsided however, when he finally entered the blonde man's room, to see just what Loki had been so jealous of. The room was large, masculine, and filled with exquisite furniture. There were golden decorations on almost everything, and the light filled the room with a great sense of power. The bedding was a dark, royal red, with ivory pillows, and the wood was a shade lighter than mahogany. Everything, did indeed look fit for a king. Tony took care to remember the appearance and atmosphere of the room. He would compare it with Loki's old one when he saw it.

Thor was lounging on a cushioned windowsill, eating some sort of exotic fruit that Tony did not recognize. The sight of the man made him feel far less intimidated, and he immediately fell back into his sense of self pride and a need to be cocky in general. He chose to sit down on the most valuable looking seat in the room, before leaning back casually, and addressing Thor in the most chummy way possible,

"Yo."

"Yo? Is this short for yoghurt? Or perhaps yodel... I know not of this term." Tony paused, realizing he would have to re-think his 'act normal' strategy,

"Its a greeting, used between good friends." Tony smiled before continuing, "I have a small favour to ask."

"Oh? Would you like some Asguardian Mead?" Tony smiled naturally this time,

"Definitely later, but that's not what I came to talk to you about." Some form of intelligence waded its way to the front of Thor's mind,

"It is about my brother? Is something wrong? Tell me he did not harm you?" Thor's face was slowly contorting and scrunching at the idea of him leading a friend down the wrong path,

"No, no." Tony stood up and went to reassure the god, "No, it actually went better than I'd thought. Just one small request. Please move him. Somewhere else. Its cold down there you see. Cold and dull. Anyone would go insane in a place like that. You need to give him a room with something to keep him occupied. I'm not saying go all-out on the luxuries, just some basic provisions. A notebook perhaps, maybe something a little softer to wear." Tony had been surprised to see Loki in full armour in his cell, with only his helmet and cape missing.

"I see your point, though surely that would defeat the point of his punishment?" Thor sounded close to giving in, but still with his reservations. Tony was so close to winning this, he just had to tip Thor over that last hurdle.

"Punishment? What punishment? He's locked up for other people's good, not his own injustice, or you wouldn't have called for my help." It was risky playing this card. Tony did not want the god under low security, only with a slightly better quality of life. Thor seemed to ponder on this response for several minutes, before finally beginning to nod, and see some sense in Tony's words. He hoped that he had done the right thing. Tony was still struggling to remember why he wanted to help Loki at all. He must have seen _something_ in the guy because everything else pointed towards 'lost cause' and 'what are you doing here again?'. He had to follow his gut though, and right now it was telling him to give the guy a chance. He reminded him of someone rather close to home.

Loki was trying to do chin ups, since his hands were tied. Even for a god, they were quite a challenge, though he lasted far longer than any mortal could have. After the two-hundred-and-fourth chin up, he finally decided to call it a day. He did not wish to become unfit whilst he was held captive. They could do what they liked with him, but they would not take away the only power that he had left. It was difficult to exercise with armour on though. The subtly toned skin on his muscles was beaded with sweat, as he hauled himself into an upright position. He would take a short break before he attempted any more. He was in danger of over heating at that moment, though a god's homoeostasis had a broader capacity for extreme climates than a mortal, Loki had the blood of a frost giant. He had only recently begun to understand why he could not stand the heat, while his brother had barely ever noticed the difference. Hot or cold, it never mattered to Thor, but Loki had always felt more comfortable in winter. He should have pleaded to be sent to the Arctic on Midguard. At least there he could have had polar bears for companions. He laughed at the idea. The creatures would cower in fear and respect at the sight of him if he could have his way.

The prison doors opened once more as Tony Stark walked down the corridor towards Loki, this time accompanied by several guards, as well as Heimdall. An escort? Had the human succeeded in granting him a better room? Loki was amused, he had to admit. This charade was proving entertaining to say the least. Why would this man want to help him, even if he was being rewarded? Loki had tried to conquer his home. That did not usually sit well with anyone in his experience. He wondered if his guard was let down too low. The men let him out of his cell, as one took hold of each of his arms, and the others walked in front and behind into a solid guard, with Heimdall in front. Tony was strolling along beside the group, deciding to leave their conversation until the guards had left. He knew Loki was not stupid, and was aware of his situation.

Loki could not be more aware of his situation. He had not been eating nearly as well as he was accustomed to, and despite his many attempts at exercise, was becoming thinner. His powers had been sealed by Odin, and his chances of escaping were clearly zero. That did not mean that he did not wish to cause chaos. Loki was caught between indecision however, as he would possibly loose this chance at a better room, if did try to escape. He decided against it in the end, as this human was keeping him entertained for the moment anyway.

The group took Loki to a small room above the servants quarter's, because despite his current status, he still required the respect due to the son of Odin. He did not like this at all, however the room looked more comfortable, and he could not complain. He did not wish to have this taken from him also. He went to sit on the bed, which he was grateful for, despite being a little too springy. Tony entered the room with him, as one of the guard's sealed the door.

"You are taking a risk there. How do you know that I will not kill you? There are no guards in here with us." Loki commented,

"Yeah I think we both know that you won't be doing that. You'd be bored afterwards. You prefer mind games anyway." Tony responded simply. Loki raised his eyebrow and smiled as he looked up. He could not deny that he enjoyed playing with this man's thoughts. This was a man of science, and yet his thought patterns were irregular, there was little logic in there. Tony seemed to be a maze of disorganized emotions and surprises. Loki had to admit that killing Tony would be a waste of a good toy.

Tony was hoping that against all the odds, that he was right, and that this man would not suddenly lunge forward and try to attack him. Even though his hands were tied, the god was clearly stronger than him. One well placed kick could cause him a new world of pain. To his relief however, Loki stayed sitting. Tony took this as a sign that he should also sit. He was still trying to gain the god's trust, and to do that he needed to show that he could trust him, at least to some extent. Tony sat on the tiny chair near Loki's bed, and put his hands together, locking his fingers together.

"Why did you try to kill your own people?" Tony finally asked,

"They were not my people. I grew up here, in Asguard. I had no care for Jotunheim. I tried to kill them to save my home. I had to show Odin who would make a better King." Loki explained. He was tired to telling this story. No matter how good the control on his emotions, this memory always made him think back to that one moment. That one moment when he had wanted to let go. He had wanted to be pulled back up, but nobody had. Tony had said that someone had pulled him back up, but no one had done so for Loki. He had fallen, and no one had gone to look for him. None had tried to save him.

"I heard you set Thor up. You lead him to the frost giants so that they would wage war on Asguard. Do you think that is how a King should behave?" Tony knew this might provoke Loki, but he needed to understand him better if he was going to take this thing seriously. He waited patiently for the god to answer, hoping Loki would see that he was not seeking to accuse him of anything.

"Thor was due to be crowned. You did not know him before he went soft. He was irresponsible, a danger to himself and those around him, and arrogant as well as selfish. I did what was necessary to make this public. Odin saw that I was right, and banished him. I did not care to harm that moron. I merely intended to keep him out of the way, so that he could not interfere with my people. He persisted however, and returned intent on ruining my plan to destroy Asguard's enemies. We could have been safe. But oh no, Thor had to destroy the bridge. And then he destroyed me. He left me, hanging from the end of my staff. And then, then the all-father let me know just how deeply disappointed he was with my existence." Loki spat the last words, in pure disgust and rage for the injustice he felt. That last part had struck Tony. He knew a little of what that was like. Just a little.

They sat there in silence for a short while. Loki was becoming slowly more certain that this man would only anger him in the end, while Tony tried to think of something helpful to say. It was Loki, however, who spoke first, "Pathetic, is it not?" Tony was surprised, was Loki showing some humility? "Pathetic that he could look down on me even as I let go. He did not even try to save me. He did not even reach out. He could have. Thor could have." Loki was trying to emphasise the wrong that had been done to him, but Tony noticed something else. Loki had still believed in his brother, even after the way he had treated him. He had wanted them to lift him up. Tony raised his head,

"Maybe they weren't the ones who were meant to reach out. Maybe you let go to soon. They were holding on weren't they? Thor was holding on. Odin was holding on."

"Thor can_ fly_." The anger shone in Loki's eyes, though he spoke softly, "He is the one who really let go."

"That's not what I meant. What I'm getting at is that you didn't let go because you were giving up, you let go because you wanted to see if they had given up on you. Okay so they messed up real bad there. Well that's their dumb fault. I'm here now, and I'm offering you that chance." Tony realized too late how ridiculous he sounded. He meant nothing to Loki, why should he care if a stranger held out his hand? To his surprise though, Loki did not shout back,

"They asked you to. They would not extend their own acceptance to me." Loki's eyes were hot and dry. Tony realized that tears would be falling if Loki was not so dehydrated. Tony walked over to the small sink and filled a cup with water. He handed it to Loki, who just stared at it,

"Water?" Tony waited until Loki finally took the cup from him and downed the drink in one go. "Thor asked me for something very vague. I'm still not entirely sure what he wanted me to do, but right now, I don't care. I help the people right in front of me, and you sir, could do with a little compassion."

"Compassion?" Loki searched him for an explanation. He did not think that he was capable of trusting anyone again, but he knew that Tony wasn't lying. Lies were his forte after all. After several minutes, Tony refilled the cup with more water, before leaving it in Loki's hands. He walked to the door.

"I'll talk again tomorrow. For now I'll give you some time to digest. The water I mean." Tony added, before a guard undid the seal on the room to let him out. Loki held the cup in his hands, but was too busy thinking to drink. What did he mean by _compassion_?


	4. Frost

After a hearty breakfast of something sweet and filling, Tony wandered around the palace in search of an awake looking guard. He soon discovered that they all looked equally awake, and had probably been up long before him. He strode over to the first one he saw, and asked for directions to Loki's old 'chamber'. Tony would have tried to follow the directions, but they were far too complicated, and an a palace this size, he was in danger of getting lost. So Tony allowed himself to be lead to the room in question, though he had to fight the urge to peer into other rooms and be nosey.

Tony was not sure if he had been expecting a large, elaborate room or a smaller and more conservative one, but what he found made his heart sink. He walked into large, almost empty room, wondering how anyone could grow up in such a place. The curtains were a dark green, and there was far less splendour in the decoration. In fact it was almost as eerie as the dungeon, though for other reasons. The walls were an off white grey, and the bed was larger, though the covers were lacking embroidery. It was all very lonely, just standing there. Tony felt something wet at the corner of his eye. There was something familiar about the room. It reminded him far too much of his solitary childhood. He had only ever been happy at school, and even there he stood out too much to feel comfortable. This room was a thorn in his side. He knew exactly what it was like to grow up in a room like this.

Glancing over to the ceiling-high bookcase, Tony found that he could not read the titles along the spines of the books. They were all of an old style, though they were clearly still used. He wondered if Loki had truly been reading these out of interest, and not because he was just that bored. Living with someone like Thor all your life, with him as your superior. Tony did not want to think what that would be like. He acted the puppy now, but he knew that it had not always been that way. Thor had been the brutal one, who would start fights for fun. Loki had not exactly been surrounded by good influences.

Tony left the room feeling devoid of anger. He would not show pity to Loki: He would talk to him as an equal. He marched by himself down the stairs again to Loki's current room. He found the god lying down on his side, trying not to let his arms go numb, as his hands were still sealed. Tony decided that this would have to be the next thing he requested to have changed. He sat down in the small chair again, trying to think of what to say. What could one say after seeing that? He wanted to comfort Loki somehow, but he was unstable and would probably not appreciate it.

Moments passed, before Loki suddenly stood up. He knelt down, before swiftly rising to pin Tony to the wall with his shoulder. He did not need his arms against a mortal, and he had finally had a good night's sleep. Tony gasped as his back hit the wall,

"Good morning to you too." He said through his teeth, as he swallowed the pain where Loki's shoulder pressed against his chest. Loki smiled at Tony's sarcasm,

"What _exactly_, were you doing in my chamber just now?" Loki replied through his own teeth. He was ready to snarl in anger or hit Tony again in amusement. His reason had better be good,

"How did you know I went there?" Tony asked, bewildered,

"You wanted to hide the truth from me. It is easy to read the lies and secrets in the eyes of a mortal. Now tell me, _why did you go there_?" Loki's voice was showing signs of his impatience. Tony did not want to risk undoing what he had managed so far, and Loki was pressing harder into his chest with his shoulder. Their faces were too close for comfort, and Tony could see something swimming behind the deep green of Loki's stare. It made him want to escape.

"I went because you told me it was bad. I went to Thor's room too. I can see your problem." Tony hoped that the truth would suffice as a good reason. He had a feeling that Loki would know if he said otherwise. Loki did loosen his grip slightly at the words, though the anger did not leave his expression,

"You wandered into something private and personal. What were you thinking?" Loki closed his eyes, "You think that is at the heart of my anger? It is merely a small contribution to my happy childhood." Loki suddenly let go of Tony and took a step back, as Tony sunk back onto the chair. He rubbed at his chest with his hand. Loki's shoulder had connected slightly too low to touch the arc reactor, though it had been just as painful as if it had.

"I didn't mean to intrude, but since you mentioned it I wanted to take a look. I didn't poke around the whole room if that's what you're worried about." Tony sighed. Loki was still standing in front of him, looking as if he would ram him against the wall again at any moment. Instead, he took another step back.

"Why?" Loki asked,

"I told you, I want to help." When Loki continued to stare down at him, Tony stood up, "I may not look like much to a god, but I know what its like to be isolated."

"Do not try to convince me that you do this for unselfish reasons mortal. You gain personally from your futile attempts." Tony could see that he was in danger of loosing this argument for good. He had two choices here. There were only two ways this conversation could go. Tony did not like loosing,

"Fine. I'll refuse a reward. But listen, Loki, If you don't accept my help, that's it. I can't do any good if you don't let me." Tony stopped there as he saw something change in the god's expression,

"You'll refuse the reward?" Loki knew the man was not lying, yet the suggestion made no sense to him. There was no logic behind this answer. He would gain Loki's trust, but for what? No reward? Ah. Sentiment. "I'm flattered, truly. But you are fighting for a lost cause." Tony could not read his tone well, but nothing could have hid the hurt in Loki's voice. He honestly felt that there was no more hope for him,

"You're wrong. I'll show you, but I need you to let me." Loki finally crushed his shoulder into Tony again. Nobody directly contradicted him. But then realization dawned on his face. Loki had wanted someone to tell him that he was wrong. He had wanted this persistence. Someone who would actually keep trying. And there was nothing in it for Tony. As Loki let go this time, Tony gritted his teeth against the pain, but he still reached out to put a hand on Loki's shoulder. He held eye contact for a moment, before smiling, and leaving the room. He would get Loki's hands untied, and something a little more comfortable than metal armour, and then he would return.

Loki had not been able to feel the touch through the thick golden plate on his shoulder, but he had felt the warmth of the gesture. He could not remember the last time someone had genuinely gone out of their way for him, without him manipulating or forcing them. After the door closed, Loki returned to lying down on his bed, to try and take in what had happened. He was not entirely comfortable with this, and had become accustomed to solitude over the past few months. Leaving this zone would be difficult, but something about Tony Stark had already begun to lift him from the darkness.

Tony was trying to figure out what he had just done. He had not only _corrected_ a god, but he had touched him. Sure there had been about ten solid inches of armour between them, but the gesture was there. What if that last stunt had enraged Loki again? Tony ran his hand over his face, as if to wipe away the stress he was feeling. And now he would have no reward to comfort him later. He could not break his promise. He went in search of Thor, to tell him that he would not be needing a prize at the end of his quest, and to make some more demands.

Loki was asleep when Tony returned. The god must have found it difficult to let go in that tiny cell. Tony walked in quietly, but stayed standing. Loki would probably hear him if he did anything else. Though he could see the deep rest the god had entered, and the oddly peaceful expression on his face. His eyes were shut, but not tight; his lips were parted slightly, as he breathed deeply and slowly through his mouth. Finally getting a view of the man from a different angle, he could see the man needed a haircut. He would take care of that next.

Tony was carrying a change of clothes for Loki. He had asked one of the Palace servants to look for something more comfortable but respectable for an Asguardian, not knowing what the local dress code was. The servant had returned with a medieval looking shirt and trousers, with a belt as thick as the soles of Tony's shoes. He supposed this was as close they got to comfort. He stood there for a moment, watching the sleepy Loki. The armour was so thick, he could not even see the steady rise and fall of his chest. Tony coughed to announce his presence in the room.

"Do not sneak up on me." Loki said, clearly having woken up when Tony entered the room. How embarrassing, had he been aware that Tony had been just standing there? He tried to hide the colour in his cheeks but putting on his cocky act,

"Well I came here with a little present." He waved about the key to the seal on Loki's hands. The god's eyes widened,

"They gave that to you?" He wanted to reach out for it, but remembered that he was unable to,

"After a great deal of persuasion on my part." Tony was taking a huge risk here. If Loki did not trust him yet, if he was wrong about the god, then his life would probably end soon. Loki seemed uncertain, but did not appear to be considering murder either. Tony went to sit beside him on the bed, so Loki turned his back so that he could undo the seal. He placed the key on the block that held Loki's hands captive, and slowly released it. He could not imagine the numbness and pain that would be in his hands after having them stuck for such a long time. Loki pulled his hands forward very slowly, with all the caution of a predator. He looked at them for a moment, as if surprised to see them there. Had he really been thinking that he would never see them again? Tony picked up the seal and set it to the side. Loki was moving his hands about slowly,

"My fingers... they-"

"Hurt? I'm not surprised, its been a while." Tony watched as Loki flexed the muscles in his hands. They were strong but elegant, tanned but pale. "I also brought you a change of clothes. Figured you were tired of sweltering heat." He pointed to the bundle he had placed to the side of Loki's bed. The god just sat there next to him for a moment. Though Tony was within arms reach of a convicted killer, he felt strangely calm.

Loki was trying to understand this thing called sentiment. Did this man truly believe in him? Care about him? He was not used to processing such thoughts, and he found that they were slowing down most of his other functioning abilities as well. He could not find words to say, nor any witty or sarcastic remark to make to lower the tone again. Tony had won this round, and though it frustrated him to the core, Loki was somehow relieved at being proven wrong. He could not deny it, because for some strange reason, Loki _wanted _to trust him.

Tony was trying to think of how to get Loki a hair cut without him taking the scissors and using them as a weapon, or perhaps he would need to use a hairdresser's shaver... Surely Asguardian's had means of dealing with hair that did not involve sharp metal objects? He was just pondering this strange trail of thought when Loki suddenly turned to face him,

"Help me escape?" There was a desperate plea in his voice, one that Tony could only see as genuine, "You can try to cheer me all you like, but they will never let me out of here, not in this century." Tony realized slowly that this was probably true. But he couldn't grant Loki's wish. He would be betraying a friend, and several powerful gods. Tony had never felt so much pressure reach him in such a short time. Even if he could do it, how would he get passed all these guards? Not to mention Heimdall, who probably already knew that this conversation was taking place. The thought sent chills down his spine.

"Loki..." He did not know how to tell him. The prankster was looking him straight in the eye, and he did not want to let him down. He could do that wonderfully crazy thing, and make a promise he could not keep, or he could continue with his current plan, knowing that it could all be in vain if they did not free Loki later. Well that was it. He had more negotiations to make. "I can't help you escape, but I can bail you out."

Tony was still shocked to see this new side of Loki, the side he usually kept buried, now plain to see on the surface. What was he thinking though? If this god was freed, who knew what he was capable of? That was when a thought hit him. Thor had been banished to earth for his crimes on Asguard, and Loki had been banished to Asguard for his crimes on earth. What if he could convince Thor that he would be relieving them of their problem? If Loki came to earth without his powers, if he stayed hidden away from the press... But what kind of a life would that be? Hiding away in secret? He would be leaving one cage, only to enter another. "Give me some time to think about this okay? I need to come up with a plan that will work."

After a moment, Loki's lowered his gaze to Tony's chest. He looked up again to Tony's eyes, before he reached out a hand. He touched the arc reactor. Tony almost jumped out of his skin: Nobody touched the arc reactor. Loki felt the jolt under his hand,

"What is this exactly?" the god asked, "Other Midguardian's don't have them." Tony swallowed the need to hit something and replied as calmly as possible,

"Its an arc reactor." Could he really tell Loki about the source of his life energy though? The very reason he was still breathing? Tony had a new craving for trust though, "It keeps me alive." He finished. Loki's expression turned from curious to intrigue,

"Your heart is inside this?" He asked,

"No." Tony did not wish to discuss the strange workings of his body any more. It was a slightly painful topic, even if he did have to deal with it constantly. Loki smiled weakly,

"I know the feeling. Mine's frozen."


	5. Water

Tony wondered if Loki's heart was truly frozen, or simply lost. He had seen many negative emotions on the god's face, but none of them had inspired so much empathy in Tony as the plea to help him escape. Loki had not looked angry or sad, only deeply lonely. Tony was not sure that he could let down a person capable of that expression: Someone so troubled by the anxiety in his soul, that he felt the need to hide it. Tony wanted to help him, but escape was not a viable option. He would have to work hard to get Loki out of this room.

Despite all the feelings of understanding growing within Tony, he still found himself bothered by the way Loki had reached for his arc reactor. He could not have known it was there, so why did he touch Tony? The god was still standing a mere foot away from him, and Tony was not sure how to act. He realized that Loki had been watching him for some time, observing the changes in his face and body language. Was he waiting for some comforting speech? Tony did not have any more charisma in him at that moment, as a feeling of great tiredness swept over him,

"Light a fire under it?" Tony suggested,

"What? So it can melt? I am a frost giant, I can't-"

"You're a person: You're not cold blooded. Our heritage doesn't define us." Tony hoped the god would not know what a hypocrite he felt right at that moment. Loki turned his head slightly, before raising his hand again. For a moment, Tony thought he was reaching for the arc reactor again, but instead, Loki clasped his hand along Tony's jaw; his thumb firmly pressed to the billionaire's chin.

"Where do you spout all of this positive talk from? Is your head really that clouded?" Loki sounded amused, yet somehow genuinely curious. Tony was unnerved by the strong hand, who's fingertips rested close to his ear. It was not a gesture he would usually appreciate coming from a man, though he had never been picky. He found his gaze wandering from the god's deep green eyes, and lower to the sensual curve of his lips. Tony could not believe what he was thinking. Had Loki's cheekbones always been that high? His voice so velvet smooth? Tony's eyes widened. He needed some time to himself. He had to come back down to earth before he lost his mind.

Tony gently removed Loki's hand: He realized he did not want to come across as rejecting him as a friend. Did Tony think of Loki as a friend? Undecided, Tony smiled, before leaving the room. He wanted the space to think. He was not one for reflection, but right now his head was too full. The questions buzzing about in his mind were for him to answer. He gave Loki a reassuring nod before the door was sealed behind him. He just caught sight of the god sinking to sit on his bed, a concerned look on his face. That was the second expression today that Tony had not expected to find on the god's face.

Loki lay down on his back, finally able to do so now that his hands were not restrained there. He let out a deep sigh that he did not know he had been holding in. This human was rattling his emotions beyond his control, and he was not sure if he liked it or not. There was something there though. For the first time in centuries, Loki could see something resembling hope, and he would not let go of such a chance. Even if it meant loosing himself to this bond of trust, he would hold on with everything he had. Perhaps he had sighed because of a release in tension between them. As Tony had left the room, he could feel a pressure lift from them both. Too much at once? Loki could understand that: He needed time too. He barely understood his own decisions at that moment.

Something. Something. Something about that last conversation. Loki could see a tiny light, right around the corner. He reached out a hand above him and clasped his fingers loosely. He would take hold of the future, and pull himself out from the depths if that opportunity came. He would rise up from the depths.

In another part of the palace, high above the room where Loki was held prisoner, Thor was seeking an audience with his father. Tony had just spoken to him, requesting a meeting with Odin himself, and Thor wanted to smooth the idea over with him first. Convincing the god that a mortal was worthy of his attention would take skill, and a great deal of luck. If Odin was not in a good mood, then that would be the end of it.

As it so happened, when Thor entered the all-father's throne room, he could see that he was pleased about something. The god smiled and gestured for his son to rise from his kneeling position. There was pride in his eyes, and a hint of happiness playing with his lips,

"Rumours have been floating about the kingdom. They say that there is progress being made in your endeavour to quell Loki's anger, and lift his spirits. I hear he was caught being polite to a guard." Thor could hear true gratitude in that voice,

"That is wonderful news indeed father. I was just speaking with Tony Stark, the Midguardian I brought to complete this task. He wishes to speak with you, if you will permit the meeting." Thor knew he had been extremely lucky with his timing here. It looked as if he might actually agree to this,

"Me? Speak with a human... those who forgot us and turned their backs?" Odin sounded more miffed than angry,

"Yet Tony came here especially to help. He just now informed me that he wishes to refuse the reward I offered him. He only seeks to help Loki. Father I beseech you, at least hear what he has to say to you." Thor watched anxiously, as Odin slowly began to nod,

"Very well. I shall listen to the man. But he is to be instructed on how to address me, understood?" Odin did not like to give his son orders, but he sometimes felt the need to make his position clear. Though Thor was now worthy of the kingdom, and his father's pride, he was still the son of the all-father. Thor bowed respectfully, before turning, and leaving with a victorious grin spread wide across his face. He was rarely successful when asking his father for favours, so this was a triumph well worth his enthusiasm. Thor went to tell Tony the good news.

The billionaire, playboy, philanthropist was pacing about the hall outside. When he saw the god of thunder approach, he stopped at the sight of his expression,

"He agreed?" Tony asked, amazed,

"Somehow! Now listen, friend, you must speak to my father with respect. If you are to come within a mile of him considering your request, you _must_ address him as 'your majesty'. Never 'your highness' or 'Odin'. Secondly, you must kneel upon reaching him, stay at least ten feet away, and do not look at him until he permits you to stand." Tony intensely disliked these requirements, but he knew that he would have to be as charming and practical as he was capable of if he were going to win this one. He was trying to bargain with the most powerful being in existence after all.

"I understand. Do I need to speak _ye olde English_ too?" Tony quipped,

"No... don't do that." Thor appeared mildly distressed by the painful attempt at their dialect. Tony simply nodded, before heading over to the humongous golden doors. He straightened his clothes, and gulped in anticipation. He was not sure what to expect, but the sizeable entrance had him beginning to fear he would be speaking with a giant. Tony kept his head bowed, and his eyes to the floor, as he walked up the wide red carpet that lead to the throne. He stopped several meters away, not wishing to push any more boundaries than he would already be doing with his plan. He knelt down on one knee, placing his fist on the carpet. There was silence for almost two minutes. Was the god testing him? Probably,

"Raise your head, human." Came a strong, commanding voice. Tony could hear the age in that tone, the many thousands of years of experience. He could also hear the never ending power and authority behind every syllable. For someone on their way out, this god was an imposing presence. Tony looked up, to see an old, yet healthy looking man. His white hair fell in a loose mane around his head, and his bright blue eyes stared back at him. Tony was not sure what to make of him, so he stayed silent. For once, he had no comments, no opinions that he wished to convey about the person in front of him. Odin seemed to be pleased by his restraint, "You may speak now. Tell me of your purpose." Tony took his time to remember the briefing Thor had given him moments before,

"Your Majesty," He began, relieved that he had remembered this at least, "I have been making slow but steady progress in reviving Loki's character." Tony struggled to be himself, without using slang and phrases that might come across as impertinent. He found himself naturally imitating a humble servant, "I believe for true change to come about in him... for him to see another way of life... He literally needs to see it. I want to show him the alternative." He paused, now seeing that this god was far too intelligent to need him to spell it out,

"If I were to set him free, who would keep him from repeating his crimes?" It was another test, he knew the answer,

"I would. I would stay with him until he was fully... I would take him to earth. Where I can be responsible for his actions. His powers are still sealed, if you would be so obliging as to remove his inhuman strength too..."

"Take care with your words Stark. Loki is still my son. For your information, his strength _is_ sealed: any remaining power is his own doing, and not something that I gave him." The good took in a slow, deep breath, "I hear that the restraint on his hands was removed, and that he did not try to harm anyone. This is progress indeed. I shall consider your request. I shall send for you when I have reached a decision." He gestured with his hand for Tony to leave. He rose slowly, and bowed, before leaving. That had been a close call. He had seen the query in Odin's eyes when he had phrased his last sentence poorly.

Thor was waiting for him in the hall. It was he who was pacing now. When the door closed behind Tony, he rushed over to him,

"High fives all round!" Tony raised his hand,

"High fives? That is a gesture of winning yes? He accepted your request?" Thor seemed bewildered, and concerned at his own concept of a 'high five' choosing to punch Tony's hand instead of slap it. Tony winced, and tried to pretend that his fingers were not almost broken,

"He's considering it. That's a good sign right? I mean it was a good sign that he saw me at all-"

"Indeed it was!" Thor thumped Tony on the back, causing him to stumble forwards a little. Unlike Loki, Thor was at full strength, and without his suit, Tony was puny in comparison. He smiled though, pleased at his friend's reassurance. If Thor thought the meeting had gone well, then it had. Tony had no idea how to read Odin's words or actions.

Loki was standing when Tony returned. He was gazing out of the tiny window, observing the great expanse of land. He was distant, yet he somehow felt more distant to this place than he ever had before, even more so than when he had fallen that day on the bridge. He turned his back on it now, as Tony came to stand in front of him. Loki's eyes flew to search the man. He had to know what he had planned. Tony was not sure whether to smile or stay quiet. Was it worth getting Loki's hopes up? What if Odin, after considering Loki's release, decided to send him back to his cell? Tony could not bare to see the disappointment on Loki's face, whether it was aimed at Odin or him.

"I'm working on it." He said, "Its hard to say whether it will work or not yet." Loki's expression was blank, unreadable,

"How long must I remain here? Tell me the truth. I will not be the victim of a white lie." He was concerned, not angry. Tony considered telling him about his audience with the all-father, but decided against it. He realized at that moment that Loki had changed into the clothes he had brought him. He was no longer weighed down by the heavy armour. The shirt fit him, yet was slightly loose against his skin. Tony could see more of his neck and the top of his chest now. Something about it had his attention, before he snapped out of the strange trance,

"I don't know. Honestly. I need time to make this a viable option. I have to think of all the possible problems that could arise." It was true that Tony needed to think about how to deal with certain small issues, but the main part was entirely in the hands of Odin; If he won this, if Odin agreed: Tony would have the international press to worry about, how to keep Loki a secret until he was ready to deal with it all. Tony's company was safely in the hands of Pepper, and the other avengers were taking care of any major situations that came up, with back up from S.H.I.E.L.D, so Tony had the time to commit to this. The second hurdle would be finding Loki some freedom without him becoming a target. He would have to negotiate with S.H.I.E.L.D too if this was going to work. He couldn't take Loki to the mansion or the tower. They would have to stay out of the limelight, and away from the population. Tony did need time to work this out, but Loki was standing there right in front of him, longing for news of some kind. The god sunk down onto his bed for the second time that day,

"Please leave me. I do not wish to see you until there is a development. I am only diverting your time from the task at hand." He was trying to hide the need in his voice; the hunger for his freedom,

"I've done all I can for today." Tony replied carefully,

"How so? Have you hit an obstacle? Discuss your plans with me then, let me contribute somehow..." Loki sounded hurt at being left out. Tony realized how the situation must look from his point of you. Saying that he could do no more for the day, when Loki thought that he was only in the early stages, just made him look lazy. He must think that Tony was only putting in minimal effort into this,

"I guess you could call it an obstacle. But its fine, really, I'll deal with it tomorrow." Tony tried to explain, but Loki looked deflated. He rose, and took a step towards Tony,

"Please go." He did not want to hear any more about the apparent lack of an advance in the right direction,

"Loki I-" Tony sighed, knowing he could say no more that would comfort Loki until he did have something good to report. He caught the pained expression in Loki's eyes as he walked away, and opened the door. He then thought he heard something out of place.

Tony stopped in his tracks, turned around, and strode straight back over to Loki. He reached out his arms, and pulled the man towards him in a tight embrace. He gently rested the god's head on his shoulder, and held him there with his own strong hands. He could take no more of seeing this loneliness through the eyes of such a misguided person. He had known somehow, that a tear had made it's way down from Loki's eyes. Tony leaned back to wipe the wetness from the god's cheek,

"I'm sorry." Tony needed Loki's forgiveness now. "I'm sorry I can't do more. I wish I could-" He was inches from the man's sad, sad face, and knew the second they made eye contact that he couldn't lie to him any more. The god had been silent since Tony had taken hold of him, and his arms remained limp by his sides. If Tony had to let him down later, he would take all the blame for failing him, but right now, he had to tell Loki that there was hope, "I spoke with Odin. He's considering you're release. He won't let you loose here, but on earth... well, he's considering it."

There was a still silence for only a moment, before Loki pulled the man back towards him. He wrapped his arm's around Tony's back, and buried his head in the man's shoulder. He no longer had control of his body, and only knew that he needed contact right now. At that moment, he needed all the comfort this man had to offer, and Tony was his only friend in the universe. He let the tears fall steadily from his green orbs, as Tony put his arms around Loki again. He held him like that for a while, just silently praying that Odin would see things his way. He would never let the god fall back down again. He would take the fall himself if he had to, because against all the odds, he now understood that he adored Loki.


	6. Freedom

Tony could neither see nor hear. He could not think or feel. As he sat outside the throne room, all he could do was wait. Anyone that passed him by went unnoticed, and anything that happened near him, he did not sense. All that occupied Tony, was the single need to wait. His head was resting in his hands, his back arched in fear. If Odin turned him down, then that was it. Loki was doomed, he would never forgive himself, and Thor would never get to see his brother happy. This really was the final chance for Loki. If Tony failed him here, it was either an attempt at escape with a full likeliness of being caught, or a slow and painful attempt at making progress, while nothing was being done to motivate Loki. Why would he want to help himself when nobody cared whether he was happy or not? Only Tony and Thor had expressed such a wish, and Thor only served to anger the god. No, Tony had to win this. He would not think about the consequences until they came.

When the door to the throne room opened, a guard came to fetch Tony. There was no sign of an answer in the guard's expression, so Tony hoped that this was only because the all-father had not told him anything. He strode into the throne room, bowing his head once more, before kneeling before Odin.

"You may stand." The god permitted after a moment of silence. Tony rose to his feet, though he felt slightly shaky and nervous. Tony was never nervous. He kept his eyes on the ground, not wanting to take any chances with this, even though he ached for his answer, "I have thought it through, and considered every possible outcome." Odin spoke so slowly and carefully that Tony felt unstable, "And I have decided that, if certain conditions are met, I will send Loki to Midguard with you."

Tony stood still for a moment, unable to take in what had just been said to him. He suddenly became aware of being dehydrated and weak at the knees. Odin continued, "The conditions are as follows: You are to keep Loki away from other people until further progress is made on his stability; Loki is not to be encouraged towards any form of power or control; and you, human, you are to leave him when he is ready. He is a god, and there is no purpose in this if he remains among Midguardians." Odin finished, an air of judgement in his tone. Tony had begun to realize that he had won, when his heart sank upon hearing those last words. Leave him? What was that supposed to mean? Tony was speechless. He kept his head down, and thanked the god, before leaving.

The man needed something to hit, anything, anyone. He needed to pound his fist hard into something that would shatter. He had won Loki's case, but at the cost of loosing him? Tony was not even aware of why it bothered him so much. Until now, he had only cared about helping Loki, but if he was going to leave... It frustrated Tony beyond his comprehension. He walked quickly across the palace, out of earshot of the all-father, cursing under his breath. When he finally found a balcony, he rushed out to it, and yelled, clenching the golden railing with his hands. He shouted illegible nonsense until his voice was hoarse, before sinking to his knees on the floor. He had won. He had won. He had lost. He had won.

Tony dragged himself up from the cold stone, knowing that he could not keep Loki waiting. The conditions were his problem to deal with. He needed to tell Loki the good news, that he was free. He rubbed his face into the palms of his hands, and shook his head, telling himself that he had to smile.

Loki was asleep again when Tony returned. There was something different about him. It took Tony a while to register that the god was smiling. It broke Tony's heart that he would be helping him, only to be separated from him completely. What was the use in making a friend if you couldn't keep them? Loki would be alone again after all that effort. Surely that would undo all the remaining good in him? Tony fought to push these thoughts away,

"Loki?" He whispered. Surely the god had heard him enter. Loki did not move though, so Tony put a hand on his shoulder, shaking it lightly, "Loki I've got good news." He found a slight shake in his own voice. He hoped Loki would mistake it for relief. Loki's eyes slowly flickered open, revealing the brilliant hue of his irises. They turned to look at Tony,

"You look sad." Loki stated. Damn that perceptive gaze,

"No I'm glad. Loki I did it. You're free. We can leave." Loki suddenly sat up,

"Really? You mean it?" He sounded almost like a child then, uncertain of his good fortune,

"Yes. Lets go." Loki's breathing became uneven, in incomprehension. Tony had fought for him, and won. He had done the impossible, and moved the all-father to let him go. Loki had lost all faith in the man who had raised him, but this one favour meant the world to him. He nodded, allowing Tony to pull back the duvet so that he could rise from the bed. Loki could not speak. He simply stood, and followed Tony out of the room. There was a small troupe of guards waiting to escort them out, but this time none of them reached to take hold of Loki. Tony patted him on the back, though he was not sure which one of them needed reassuring now. "First thing I'm gonna do when we get back, is get you a haircut." He smiled, hiding the weight in his chest.

Tony went on ahead to fetch the iron man suit he had brought with him. Billionaire or not, those suits took a lot of time and money to make. He decided that it would be unfair to wear it in front of the now powerless Loki, so he kept it in its briefcase form. He met with Loki at the Bifrost. Heimdall would not let them through until Tony had caught up with them. The guards fell back, as the two men went to stand in the centre of the domed room.

Heimdal placed his staff in the device, before leaving the dome. Tony felt the strange sensation in his stomach, the G-force that came with the speed they were travelling at. He could see that Loki was surprised at the toll it took on his body, now that his powers were missing. They landed with a great thud, which Tony had not been prepared for. He regretted not wearing the suit, which was built for smooth landings. As he stood up, he became aware that something was wrong. He had expected to be returned to the Bifrost site that he had left earth from, but this was not America.

The landscape was coated with a thick blanket of snow, and the air had a harsh bite to it. The cold swept right over the two men, causing their bones to chill. Loki seemed to be shocked only at the location, and not the freezing wind that was blowing about them. Tony tried to look for a landmark, anything to give him a clue to where they were,

"Jotunheim... why would they?" Loki had a look of panic in his eyes. Neither of them stood a chance against frost giants. That was when Tony saw it,

"Panic over. This is earth." Tony pointed to the small group of birds. They were waddling along in a long line, "Unless they have penguins in outer space." Loki smiled in relief,

"What are those creatures?" Loki asked. Tony realized that the god had probably never seen or heard of them. Knowing that he could fly them out of there at any point with his suit on, Tony saw no harm in a detour via the strange birds. As they approached them, Tony was reminded of the film 'march of the penguins' which he had gone to see out of pure scientific reasons, and _not_ because women liked men who cared about animals.

"Emperor penguins. They uhh, march." Tony wondered what would happen if they got too close. They did not look like the sort of creatures to run and hide, but they weren't high on defence either. "The parents take it in turn to get food for the chicks, while the other watches the egg. The trip takes a pretty long time I think. Not all of 'em make it back." He hoped he was getting his facts right here or he would look like an idiot later.

"Why go to all that trouble?" Loki did not understand why they could not simply mate nearer to the sea. Tony fought with his memory to think of an answer. What had Morgan Freeman taught him?

"Danger. The habitats where they go for fish are dangerous. They can't fly like other birds, but they can swim. There are orcas and seals though... they kinda eat penguins. Not much of a threat to us though. Seals are small, and orcas won't come inland." He was more certain of his knowledge now, but he realized it also sounded like he knew way too much about the creatures. That was the effect of Morgan Freeman's narration he supposed.

"Such a chaotic way of life. After all that effort, their offspring will have to go through the same struggle? Never moving forward..." Loki looked back at the birds. He stepped closer to them. The birds barely noticed his presence, so he walked closer still, until he was only a few feet away from the line. They made no move to run. He watched them for a while, trying to understand their motives. At this distance, he could not tell, but he thought he could see an aura of pride in the birds. They were proud of their lives, their survival. He could see in them, the joy of raising a child, and knowing that they had a future of their own, even though it might be hard for them. Because they were not alone, they were all marching together.

Tony kept his distance. He was fascinated by the way Loki had approached the animals, with curiosity and caution. He had not wanted to disturb their pattern, enjoying the waves of movement in the massive crowd. Tony could see them still coming from far off on the horizon, all striding towards the sea. Through the bitter cold, and the strong wind, he felt a great feeling of calm pass through him. This place was peaceful.

As Loki walked back over to him, Tony held up his briefcase. The hard iron suit unfolded as it wrapped itself around him, encasing him in the thick armour. He had become used to the sensation, but it still felt odd to him. The suit was his own creation though, so he did not feel trapped. He had gradually developed it to be more comfortable and fit his body better. He also got a kick out of the slightly robotic effect it had on his voice, when he spoke from inside the helmet,

"I don't know about you, but my body's not so good with the cold." He explained. Loki had clearly wondered why he was putting the suit on,

"My heritage does not mean that I am used to this climate. I grew up on a warm planet, and my powers are gone remember?" Tony noticed for the first time the slight shivering of the man in front of him. How stupid of him, sure he was a frost giant, but this was Antarctica. It was one of the driest deserts on the earth, and the cold wind really was eating away at them.

"Ah. Sorry I didn't realize. We'd better get out of here then." Tony held out a hand, but then retracted it. He was unsure of how this was going to work. He decided it would be less awkward if he just grabbed the guy. "Keep your eyes and mouth closed." He warned briefly, before wrapping the iron arms under Loki's and gripping his back. He suddenly took off, before the god could complain. Jarvis sprang to life inside the suit, bringing up the GPS signal to guide Tony into a warmer continent. He had to go slow enough for Loki to cope with the speed, so he had to take a break after an hour.

Loki looked a little shaken, but he had tucked his head in during the flight. He insisted that he was fine, and that they should keep going. They had paused on a large ice burg, where Tony was struggling to balance. The ice was slippery and uneven. Loki let out a laugh as Tony finally slipped, and had to use his rocket boosters to keep him from falling into the sea. Tony frowned from inside the suit, but he was pleased to see such cheer in the god's eyes. He was clearly enjoying this. Tony checked the map. The nearest stretch of warmer land was South Africa. That was a long flight. They would have to aim for Europe. Tony knew he could get into deep trouble for landing in the wrong country. Thankfully he had become internationally recognized, so with any luck, nobody would try to shoot him down. He looked over at Loki who was having no difficulty balancing on the ice. Tony sighed, before grabbing him again, and taking off.

Loki fought to stay awake. He did not want to fall asleep in Tony's arms whilst flying at high speeds. They had been travelling for hours though, pausing only for a snack. It would be hell flying on a full stomach. So when they finally made it as far as Italy, Tony headed straight for Rome – the only city he knew his way around. He touched down in front of a small but high quality hotel. It was two in the morning, and Tony wanted to sleep properly so that he could figure out where to go from here.

Tony hesitated at the check in desk, when asked if he wanted a double room or two singles. The receptionist was giving them both strange looks, but clearly recognized either of them. Perhaps this person did not watch much television, Tony hoped. He was a billionaire, so he went wanted to go with the easier option, but he had promised to keep an eye on Loki... Tony was relieved to discover that they had a room available with two single beds. The room was spacious for a hotel room, and the beds were comfortable. Tony had had the suit on for too long, but he thought it would be bad to leave it alone with Loki. He stepped into the bathroom with the suit still on, before turning it back into its compacted form, and undressing. He desperately wanted the feel of water running down his back.

Loki wanted to explore the city, but he was exhausted from fighting to stay awake for the whole flight. He removed his boots, before unbuckling his belt, and removing his shirt. He was unsure how he wanted to handle this situation. He hated not being the one in control, but he did trust Tony, and he had not failed him so far.

After the extremely refreshing shower, Tony wanted nothing more than to sleep. He pulled his jeans back on, before heading back into the room. He stopped still in the doorway. Tony could see the god had fallen asleep already, but what shocked him was the look of the man lying there. Loki was shirtless, with no belt. His trousers were loose, and daringly low on his hips. He had fallen asleep before climbing under the covers. Tony was unaware of his own hand reaching to cover his mouth. His breathing was deepening, quickening, and he had no idea why. The god was breathing slowly and steadily though, rippling the smooth muscles of his chest. His arms were lying loose on either side of his head, and one leg was dangling down the side of the bed.

Tony decided to let him sleep. He got into his own bed, but soon discovered why Loki had not bothered with the duvet. They were in Rome, in the summer – it was boiling. The suit had kept Tony warm from the cold of Antarctica, and Loki had warmed up as they had flown over Africa. Tony now chose to follow suit, and lie on top of the covers. He was distracted by the pleasant sight of Loki's quiescent face, before Tony finally drifted into a deep and welcome sleep.


	7. Calm

Tony Stark rolled over lazily in his bed, and slowly opened his eyes. He had to force them open, wanting to know what time it was. When he saw the room, he slowly remembered where he was, and that he did not need to be up by a specific time. He could see the still sleeping Loki sprawled like a cat on his own bed. He was lying on his front now, his head resting on his arms, and his legs barely still on the mattress. Tony's eyes shut again, but he made them open once more. He realized that Loki's trousers had made their way even further down his body in the night. Tony blinked, before turning to face the other way. He very slowly came to, and eventually managed to keep his eyes open, and sit up.

Tony reached for his shirt, which he tugged on haphazardly, and finally stood. He kept his gaze above where Loki lay, trying not to look at the panther of a man, who stretched and growled before returning to his peaceful silence. Tony had been feeling unsure of himself as of late, and Loki was not helping the predicament by simply lying there, tempting him to cross the point of no return. That made up Tony's mind for him about the day's plan. They needed to eat, get Loki a haircut, and then go somewhere where the locals spoke English. England seemed like a good idea. He would hire a plane though, he had exhausted himself the night before, flying for hours on end in the hot and heavy suit. He would have to make a summer model when he next gained access to his workshop.

Loki finally stirred, rolling slowly onto his back, and allowing his eyes to adjust to the sunlit room. He was vaguely aware of Tony mentioning going out to look for a hairdresser and a place to eat. Loki groaned, sitting up as the door closed behind Tony. He was being forced to have a hair cut now? He walked over to the mirror that hung above the dresser. He took a good long look at his hair, and saw that it was really too long. It also needed rinsing. He stepped out of his trousers before striding into the bathroom. Loki had the device figured out quickly. He had heard the shower turning on when Tony had been in here, so Loki knew what to expect. He let the hot water cascade down his body. He closed his eyes and felt the rain wash over his face, enjoying the refreshing sensation.

Tony had scoured the streets of Rome in search of several things, though he was not sure if Loki had heard everything he had said. After finding a suitable café, hairdresser and some new clothes for himself as well as Loki, he headed back to the hotel. Guessing Loki's size was not difficult. Tony knew the god was a fair shot taller than himself, and had a more lithe build. He had purchased shoes and socks for Loki, two T-shirts for while they were in Europe, a short-sleeved, buttoned shirt, in case Loki was dissatisfied with that, and some smart trousers. He had bought knee length combat shorts too, but he could not see Loki agreeing to wear those.

When Tony opened the door to their room, he could see Loki sitting on the bed, trying to dry his hair. He had wrapped a towel around his hips, not willing to put on the sweaty trousers again. He had binned those in fact. They were from Asguard, and he was trying to forget that place. Tony could see that Loki was having a hard time drying his hair. He usually had it slicked back, but had not had access to anything to accomplish this look with, so it fell loosely about his face; water dripping slowly from the dark locks. Tony felt an unfamiliar movement in his chest. The sight was driving his heart beat faster, his breathing deeper. He ignored it, and placed the shopping on his own bed.

Loki laughed at the shorts, refusing to walk about the streets with his shins on view – the world was not worthy of the sight. The shower had cooled him down, so he went for the shirt and trousers. When he returned from the bathroom, Tony noticed that Loki had left the top three buttons undone on his shirt. Was this deliberate? Tony shook his head, ignoring the quiet thrumming inside him. He had changed into the combat shorts, though he was also displeased by their appearance. They certainly did not scream 'billionaire' or 'playboy'. He Thought about this for a moment, he was a playboy right? Why was he holding back his feelings? Because they were dumb, and Loki probably did not return them. That was what Tony had been telling himself subconsciously. He was getting sick of listening to reason though, as it rarely lead to him becoming any better off. That was when he was reminded of a more important reason: Loki practically had an 'approach with caution' sign on him, like a caged tiger. Tony sighed as they left for breakfast. He would have to play nice for now.

Loki was surprisingly thrilled with this food the Midguardian's called Pizza. Tony had told him that it was unusual to have it for breakfast, but Loki had the appetite of a god. Upon Tony's recommendation, he had chosen the large, Hawaiian variety, with the strange combination of some sweet fruit with ham. Loki loved it, he liked the combination of flavours in his mouth, the rich and creamy tomato covered in melted mozzarella. He decided that he liked Italy. Tony had gone for a smaller, more conservative breakfast to boost his energy – Italian bread. Tony did not care what Loki had to say about his appetite though, bread or not, it was fresh and Italian, and it tasted amazing.

After breakfast, Tony lead Loki to the hairdresser he had found. Loki walked in, confused slightly by the unusual set up. He took his seat and began browsing through the haircuts that he could choose from. After only two pages, he handed the leaflet to Tony,

"I can't decide. They all look strange to me. On Asguard we let our hair grow until it became a nuisance. I understand that my usual hairstyle stands out too much here though." He then pointed at a picture of a man with an afro, "Just not that one." Tony tried to envisage Loki with an afro... and could not. He eventually decided to ask the hairdresser for a trim. He would lend Loki his own hair products and he could decide what he did with it. Tony watched as hair slowly fell onto the floor, wondering why he found it so fascinating all of a sudden. Loki looked good with shorter hair, once he had combed it back to frame his face. Tony was under the impression that Loki liked to have his forehead showing, and with good reason. Who would want to hide those eyes from view? He could have said the same about Loki's legs, but arguing would have lead to strange questions that Tony would not have known how to answer.

The two men began walking around the city, letting the summer heat lick at their skin. Tony was still trying to come up with the next part of the plan. Where could he take Loki that would be less crowded? They could not stay in Rome: they would eventually be recognized. His original idea of getting a plan to England was beginning to seem like a bad one. They probably had a fair amount of American media, that would have shown the Chituari invasion on the news. Chances were, they had seen footage of Loki. He was less recognizable with short hair, however, and they did not have to go into the cities,

"Where would you like to go?" Tony asked, "I've got money so we can go anywhere really." He realized what he was risking by letting Loki decide. Who knew how long he would be away from his company for, but he trusted Pepper. He was more worried about the people he would be leaving behind. He was the public face of that company, as well as Iron man. While he was helping Loki, who would protect the people? He decided that he would just have to protect the people wherever they did go instead.

"I can't say that I know this planet's geography well." Loki seemed to be avoiding naming somewhere,

"You travelled a bit, you must have an idea." Tony persisted,

"Well... no." Tony gave him a look that said he knew he was stalling, "Fine. Switzerland." Tony waited for Loki to explain his reasoning, but he could see that he was already pushing it. There was something he did not want Tony to know, so he would not press the issue. He was not technically supposed to be trusting the god, but he could only maintain this fragile bond between them by showing Loki that he could be trusted.

"Any part in particular? We can't go to Zurich-"

"Montreux." Loki looked so certain. Tony was not sure where that was, but he was sure they could get a flight there.

"Okay, I'll book a plane." Tony was, for once, particularly grateful for his vast financial back up.

The flight to Geneva Airport was three hours with one stop, and with the train to Montreux added on, the journey should have taken no longer than five hours, however it was only when they got to the airport that they discovered a small problem: Loki did not have a passport. Tony thought about getting a counterfeit one, but decided that this would be setting a bad example for the reforming god. Instead, he tried to get them through check in on the basis that Loki was a god, and not human, and did therefore not require a passport. He could not be legally classed as a terrorist, because he was not human, and therefore he should be allowed on the plain. This did not go down well with security. At first they wanted to do a strip search, but Tony explained that this was not the best solution. Instead they scanned him and he passed all the other checks. Since he was clearly identifiable as a citizen of Asgaurd, and he was accompanied by Tony Stark; security eventually had to let the two men through to the departure lounge.

Tony helped Loki pick out some sunglasses to make him a little less conspicuous. They could not bypass security checks, but they could at least hide his identity from the public. Not that this was necessary, but they were late enough as it is without being pestered by the Italian press. They made it to the aeroplane with several minutes to spare, having been told to arrive at the airport two hours in advance. The advantage of the security problems was that it was all dealt with at once, and they were not required to go through the normal checks in addition.

Loki took the window seat, as Tony did not want him sitting next to a stranger – who knew what could happen – though Tony also hated sitting in the middle. A small child came and sat next to them, her parents forced to sit with a boy, presumably her younger brother, on the other side of the aisle. Tony knew then, that this was going to be a long day.

Geneva airport was crowded with businessmen, scientists and tourists, as well as the Swiss coming home from their holidays. Tony attempted to buy train tickets in French, only to discover that the staff spoke fluent English. Worse, he discovered that not only did they also speak fluent German, but so did Loki. Tony reminded himself that Loki was a god, and not to be compared to. Tony had been wondering all day why they were here: Why did Loki have a preference for Switzerland? And this particular town they were heading to. He had never been there before, and Tony had checked online, there were few events happening in the area that he could picture Loki taking an interest in.

The train journey was only a little shorter than the flight, though by far more spectacular. After the first few stops, they could see the view of lake Geneva. The immense span of water stretched as far as the horizon, bordered by beautiful, tall, tree covered mountains. The sun was low, creating a stunning reflection on the surface of the rippling lake. Loki watched, surprised by how such a simple thing left him feeling warm inside.

When they arrived in Montreux, the sun was lower still, and Tony had a decision to make. They had two options: Stay in a hotel in town, or stay in a hotel up a mountain where they would not be recognized.

"Where do you want to go?" Tony asked vaguely, hoping Loki had had something specific in mind all along. Instead Loki looked thoughtful, and observed his surroundings. After staring at the distance from all angles, he pointed to the mountain behind them. That would solve the problem of not standing out. The decision was made for them as a train pulled into another platform, returning from the top of the mountain. "Okay we're getting on that train, and we're getting off at the first hotel we see that isn't too near the town." Loki nodded, so Tony bought two more tickets to take them to the top, although he hoped they would get off sooner than that.

The train was decorated with small cartoon animals that resembled a cross between beavers and otters. After speaking with the train driver, they learned that the creatures were called marmots, and that they lived at the top of the mountain. They decided to get off the train at Glion, and walk to a hotel that the driver had recommended. Tony was impressed with the place, and equally impressed with the room. The view from the window showed them most of the lake. It was stunning,

"What are we doing here?" Tony asked. He could not hold in the question any longer. He wanted to understand Loki better, and was getting nowhere by staying silent. It had proven difficult to make any other conversation when this had been the only thing on his mind. He could not understand why Loki would talk to him about all the sensitive issues with his family, and not this. The god sighed, lying down on his bed, and flexing his arms above his head.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier..." Loki began. He sounded... embarrassed, almost humble. Tony was not sure if he had been expecting some terrible confession or a lack of reason, but embarrassment was not on his list of suspicions. "I wanted to come here because I had heard about it somewhere. I heard someone describe it... it sounded... I had to see it." He finished. Tony did not need him to continue. He could see the peaceful look in Loki's eyes. It sounded peaceful, tranquil. The renewing atmosphere in a person's voice, had caused the god to remember the name of the place. Even back when he was at his lowest point, he had been struck by it. Tony understood now. Loki had not wanted to admit that he was capable of wanting something so clichéd as peace. Cliché or not, Tony had to admit that it sounded appealing. He wondered who had been speaking.

Loki awoke the following morning to find Tony gone. After showering and pulling on a shirt, he ventured out, assuming the billionaire had gone for breakfast. Loki actually hoped that he had gone to breakfast, because he was starving. He did not find Tony in the breakfast room though. After a lazy search of the hotel, he decided to go ahead and eat, as Tony could be anywhere, and would probably come and find him soon.

Tony never did show up though. Loki returned to the room, to find it empty, aside from the large briefcase that they had brought with them. Loki had guessed what it was, going by the unmistakable design style and colour scheme of red and gold. Tony was trusting him not to touch it though, and Loki knew that their trust was still a fragile thing. He went out onto the balcony to see if Tony was standing somewhere below. He was not. That was when Loki realized that Tony would have left a note if he had been planning to be gone for this long. Loki never panicked. Never. But at that moment, he felt a strange feeling of dread in the pit of his stomach, and he realized it was because he was alone.

"Tony?" Loki said aloud for the first time. He had never called the man by his first name, and rarely addressed him properly at all. He walked out of the room again, heading to the reception desk.


	8. Panic

Tony had woken early that morning: far too early to wake Loki. He tried to fall back to sleep, but the sun was shining brightly through the thin, veil like curtains. He quietly dressed, before heading out for a stroll. He could take a look at the scenery before breakfast. He slipped out of the room, but he never made it to breakfast.

The mountains surrounded the lake, making the place look secure and safe. The lake created the peaceful feeling that Loki had hinted at. The towns and villages dotted about the valleys were abundant with life. It was no rural, off the road area. This place was modern and efficient, but the people here were happy. Tony wondered why America could not do the same. Then he thought of the cities, and the sheer scale of their country. Switzerland was smaller than most states, its population smaller than London's. Yet it worked. Tony loved to see technology when it clearly worked within society.

Tony stretched his legs, before setting out on a walk. The breeze was pleasant, cool and refreshing, tickling at Tony's tanned skin as he walked up the winding road. Half an hour later he had gone quite a distance away from the hotel. He knew he could get the train back down though. The road was close to the deep slope of the mountain, but there was a barrier blocking anything from falling down there. Tony happily walked along side the barrier, so that any cars would see him coming. It was only when a car did come round the corner, that he remembered he was in Europe. The cars drove on the opposite side of the road in Europe. He was not walking towards the oncoming traffic at all. The electric came up so quietly behind him, he only heard it when it was about two meters away. He only had time to jump, letting his reflexes guide him over the barrier. He lost consciousness as he began falling and rolling down the sheer drop.

Loki never panicked. Never. He had tried waiting, exploring, eating to keep himself distracted, but after two more hours, he could sit around no longer. He left the hotel grounds. He could only hope that there was a perfectly normal explanation for Tony's disappearance, that would be easily forgotten, such as getting drunk and lost, or drunk and falling asleep in a chair somewhere. Both seemed likely explanations, but the empty feeling inside Loki was growing, and he detested it.

Loki set out on the mountain road, feeling torn between speaking with an authority, and continuing the search on his own. He doubted that the Midguardian police would be interested in searching for a man who had only been gone for five hour though. It was almost lunch though, so there was no logical reason why Tony would deliberately be out for that long without leaving a note. Loki stopped walking for a moment, and looked around. He tried to think, tried to gather his thoughts, but all that this achieved was to make him feel more anxious. His hand reached for his face, tracing his cheek and jaw, before sliding down, and falling limp beside him. There was a pained expression on his face, though he did not know it.

"Tony?" He called out again, as he continued up the mountain road. It was half an hour before he had to stop for a break. Walking up hill was tiring, and his muscles ached a little. He had strained his voice from calling Tony's name so loudly every few minutes. He tried to catch his breath, before calling out one more time. There was only silence. There was more silence, and then more. Then there was a scrambling noise. There was a muffled cough, and a groaning sound: It was not normal, but weak and pain filled. Loki rushed over to the barrier,

"Tony?" He called again. There was another groan. Loki carefully began climbing down the ridge, using the stronger tree roots and rocks for support. He could see Tony after a minute of climbing down. Loki was not sure of the best course of action to take in this situation, having rarely felt the need to help anyone, let alone be in a situation where it was required. He decided to take the risk and continue descending down the mountain towards him.

Tony was lying sprawled across the forest floor, dried blood all around his head. Loki's eyes widened as he took in the sight. Tony must have hit his head on a rock, as he was still delirious and on the edge of unconsciousness. His leg was twisted at a bad angle, and could only have been broken. Loki blinked hard, trying to think. He had never had to deal with something like this. Never had to worry about loosing someone to an injury. Tony was a mortal.

Loki knelt down to try and move Tony away from the rocks. Taking care not to move Tony's leg, he lifted his head and moved away any sharp things that were under it. Loki looked at him for a moment, before ripping off his shirt, and scrunching it into a bundle. He used that to cushion Tony's head. He looked Tony over, trying to see if there were any other injuries,

"Tony? Tony listen to me. I need to know how to help you." Loki's hand instinctively moved to Tony's forehead. It was cold, and somehow he knew that this was a bad sign. Loki swallowed, trying to think what to do. What did Tony do when he needed something? He had a device... Loki gingerly reached into Tony's pockets, searching for his mobile. He pulled the phone out and flipped it open. He was faced with a screen and some numbers. Great. He had no clue how to use this thing,

"Tony please, what numbers do I press?" Tony groaned. Loki clicked his fingers in front of Tony's face, "Come on."

"n-n-" Tony tried. As the only number beginning with 'N' was nine, Loki went ahead and punched it into the device.

"Okay, nine, what's next?" Loki could not believe this was happening. If this had happened several days ago, he would be laughing at Tony's weakness, pushing and kicking him further down the mountain, before leaving him to die there. Now he could see only a different scenario: one where Tony had to recover from this.

"W-" Loki pushed the 'one' button, "One." Tony managed to get out. Loki recognized the finality in his tone that told him to press the call button. He had to guess which one that was, but one of the symbols was green, and he knew that that meant 'go' on Midguard. He pressed it, before putting the phone to his ear.

The conversation with the American emergency services lead them to put him through to the swiss one. They told him that an ambulance was on its way, and that he must not attempt to move Tony any more. Loki wondered how long it took an ambulance to get up a mountain, having only seen them once. He was looking at Tony, trying to remember something important now,

"Tony is there something I'm missing? I need to know." He tried again,

"Ye-" Tony coughed up blood, which poured slowly out of his mouth, over the short, dark hair of his beard, and down his neck. "Arc reactor" He forced the words out. Loki understood. He pulled up Tony's shirt so that he could see the gadget in his chest: The thing that kept him alive. Loki almost fell backwards. There was something very wrong with the arc reactor. It was fading, not glowing the pale blue it usually did. What could he do? Did it need energy? All Loki wanted was to fix Tony.

"Odin?" Loki called, "Odin please, fix him." There came no reply. Loki sat there quietly for a moment, trying to keep himself from going insane. He had to see Tony through this. He would do anything to keep this man alive: This man who had helped him to rise from the depths of self pity; the very core of sadness that had caused him to let go of Thor's hand. Tony had given him hope again, and something more.

That was when it happened: Loki's body felt lighter, stronger. His skin began to glow a brilliant gold. He just looked down at himself, confused, as his armour appeared on him, his cape billowing behind him, falling down his back and swinging about at his ankles. Then a staff appeared in front of him. It was not his old staff, or the one he had been given to take control of people's minds. This was a new staff, a gift from Odin.

Had Odin recognized that Loki was sorry? Had his father finally noticed him? Loki bit his lip, to find that it had been trembling for the duration of his powers returning. His cheeks were wet with gratitude. He blinked back the tears, looking down at Tony, as the glow faded from his visage. How could he heal him? Did he know any incantations or sorcery that could fix head wounds? Broken legs? He did not, but he knew that his powers had returned for a reason.

Loki stood up, holding the staff out, and pointing the tip to Tony's arc reactor. He focused his mind; balanced his breathing, and let his will flow out through his body, into the staff. The crystal at the tip glowed, a fine blue. The energy poured out of them, washing over Tony in a wave of power. His body moved, arching his back and moving his leg back into place. The arc reactor began to glow brighter as it charged. Tony was mending. Loki wiped away a stray bead of water from his face, smiling against the pain in his own chest. He continued pouring energy into Tony, until his eyes flickered open. Loki dropped the staff, falling to his knees by Tony's head,

"Tony can you hear me? Does your head hurt?" He asked, wanting to know if he would need more,

"Sure I can hear you... And no... no it doesn't." Tony blinked a few times, as if expecting a surge of pain to hit him at any moment. When he realized that he was no longer injured, he sat up. He sat up to find two strong arms reach around him, as Loki grabbed him, pulling him close. His hand moved to Loki's hair, before he could think. He found himself stroking away the concern in Loki's expression, the look of tired relief in his hurt green eyes, "Sorry I missed breakfast." Loki let out an almost hysteric laugh. He could not believe this man could come so close to death, and return so quickly to making jokes. Tony smiled. A second later, Loki's lips were on his, and Tony could not hold back. He pulled the god down on top of him, fisting his hand into Loki's short dark hair, and brought his head down, keeping their mouths locked. He nipped and kissed at Loki's lower lip, feeling the pressure and firmness of each touch. He revelled in the caress down his back; the feel of those beautiful, high cheek bones under his finger tips.

Loki's amour had disappeared again after he had put down the staff, returning him to the state that he had been in before, having removed his shirt. Their skin touched where his bare chest met with Tony's, where he had lifted it to look at the arc reactor. Loki thought of all that this man had done for him, and all that he had felt when he had first glimpsed Tony's fallen body. This man meant the world to him. He did not care that his actions now, were unusual. He now pressed his hand to the small of Tony's back, sliding it down and gripping the top of his thigh.

Tony's back arched in pleasure, bringing his hips up to press into Loki. He had never felt like this with a woman, not that it mattered. He was happy right at that moment, actually happy.

The two men continued grappling and stroking each other, before Loki began exploring Tony with his tongue. He reached deep into his ear, licking and teasing, causing Tony to moan. They could hear two sirens in the distance though, so when the engines stopped above them, the two of them broke apart. Loki's breathing was heavy and hard, warm and fast. He reached for his shirt, pulling it back on, and brushed off the pine needles. Tony lay there, Loki still straddling him. When Loki stood, he held out his hand to help Tony up. The tables had turned, and now Tony was surprised to find himself being pulled up by the very man he had been trying to save,

"Loki, my mind is fuzzy, but I'm pretty sure I hit my head. How come I'm not dead or unconscious?" He asked, wary of putting the god in a difficult position,

"Umm, miracle?" Loki suggested, implying that he would explain more later. They looked up to see a fireman leaning over the barrier, trying to see what was going on,

"We could use a rope or something." Tony called up to him,

"You're not injured?" The fireman called back, "Heard you had a broken leg and a serious concussion."

"Nope, we're both fine." Tony watched as the fireman went to discuss the situation with the furious looking paramedic. He walked back over to the barrier with the fireman,

"You can't have survived that fall uninjured, I'm not leaving till I've checked you over. You shouldn't be pulling yourself up in that condition-" The paramedic was interrupted,

"Pass us a rope then and we'll walk up." Loki insisted. The paramedic grumbled. They had more authority than the fireman in this situation but if they were clearly uninjured then the priority had to be getting them to safety.

An hour later, the paramedic had left, almost grumpy that they were not needed, but still glad to see that nobody would be dying on his watch that afternoon. The fireman left when they had finished with his rope, and the two men began sauntering down the road to their hotel. They walked in silence, though there was a peaceful atmosphere between them. Tony felt the corners of his mouth lift into a warm smile, as Loki took hold of his hand.

There was a phone call waiting for Tony when they arrived back in their room. Tony heard Nick Fury's voice bark at him down the line. He had just learned from undisclosed sources that Tony was in Switzerland, fraternising with the enemy. Tony was not in the mood to try and explain the situation,

"Cut the crap. Why did you really call?" he asked. He heard the general grumble in response, before sighing. Tony could hear the nervous undertone to his voice. There was something very wrong,

"There's been an attack. Five S.H.I.E.L.D agents dead. Ice everywhere."


	9. Storm

Loki froze. He knew what this meant, and Nick Fury's tone confirmed his fears. Ice giants were attacking S.H.I.E.L.D. But why would they? And how on earth did they get to Midguard? Loki had killed their king. Could they be looking for him? His hand reached to cover his face. Tony put his arm protectively around Loki's shoulders whilst continuing to speak to Nick on the phone,

"How many?" He asked,

"Nineteen caught on camera. There could be more. Hold on..." They heard the general speaking with one of his subordinates on the other end of the line, "Two more agents confirmed dead. Tony we need you here now. I'm calling the other avengers. Any idea how to get hold of Thor?"

"Possibly." Tony hung up. He slid his phone back into his pockets before placing both hands on Loki's shoulders, "If you're not comfortable with this, I'll go deal with it on my own."

"No..." Loki paused, trying to think, "No I'll come too. We can come back afterwards right?"

"I meant contacting Thor. Someone has to do it." Tony searched Loki's expression,

"Oh that. Heimdall will have heard General Fury. He'll send Thor over there. I was talking about you going to save the planet." Tony let his hands fall down Loki's chest,

"I don't have to. How tough can nineteen ice giants be? We have a hulk..." Loki shuddered,

"That man might be a match for them, my doubts are with the others. And I hate to say it Tony, but nineteen ice giants probably means hundreds more coming. If they are here at all, they have a reason for it, and will not cease their attacks until they achieve their purpose." Loki took hold of Tony's hands, removing them from the smooth muscle of his pectorals,

"I don't want to leave you here." Tony did not see any advantage in Loki coming with him, if anything it would be putting him in danger,

"Tony you should know. My powers returned." Tony went very still. What? How? When did this happen? He let go of Loki,

"Show me." He was too stunned to believe him otherwise. Loki spread out his arms, as his armour instantly began to appear, glowing a brilliant gold,

"Okay well that solves that problem." Tony's eyes were wide, his eyebrows both raised. "What do you want to do then?"

"Go with you. I'll help. I cant appear in public, I understand that, but I can join the fight. I'll... disguise myself." He knew that he could not hide the glow from his skin while he was using his power, but the armour was not essential. Tony was looking at him with a concerned expression,

"How many ice giants does it take to bring down a hulk?" Tony asked, not intending to turn his question into a pun,

"Well I'll put it this way. One Loki could not take down a hulk, fifty ice giants could not take down one Loki." A smile crept onto his face. Tony suddenly remembered the iron like grip that Loki had held him by the neck with, all that time ago in Stark Tower. He had felt this god's strength,

"Okay. We'll head over there tomorrow. Banner can handle it for now." Loki sank down onto his bed, staring into space. He cared about Tony, and as a result, he found himself beginning to care about this realm. It was Tony's home, and he would defend it.

That night, Tony could not sleep. He was concerned about Loki, despite his powers. He wanted to know how they had come back. Why would Odin return them so soon after banishing him to Earth? He could not understand it. He rolled over, trying to get comfortable. Instead, he found himself looking at Loki. He realized the god was also awake. Tony was not sure how, but his body moved of its own accord. He got up, walked over to Loki, and slipped into his bed beside him. There was little room for them both in the single bed, but they wrapped their arms around each other. Tony breathed hard and hot against the bare skin of Loki's neck. His hand moved to stroke from his nape, down to his hips. Loki held Tony's head in both hands, gazing at him intently,

"What is this?" He asked "Explain it to me?" He pulled Tony towards him, drinking in his masculine scent. Tony shook his head. How was he supposed to know? He was as surprised as Loki by the sudden change in their relationship that had occurred in the mountain forest. The memory sent rivers of warmth through his body, causing him to move. He was tense, and needed to let go. He realized now why he had really been struggling to get to sleep. He brushed past Loki's cheeks with his lips, before opening them to take a taste of him. He licked along the sensuous curve of the god's lower lip, before pressing their mouths together. He savoured the heat and flavour of him; feeling the varying weight and speed of their touches. Loki broke the kiss with a groan, leaning his body closer to Tony's, before pulling the man astride him. Tony tutted,

"We're going to America tomorrow, better get some sleep." The playboy teased, to receive a sharp growl. Loki took his finger into his mouth and bit, before licking the sensitive mark. Tony thought of the sight of Loki in that cell back in Asguard. He thought of the sadness in the god's eyes, the hurt and the deep rage that had weighed him down for so long, and what it had driven him to do. Then he thought of the first time that Loki had shown signs of wanting to change, and when he had first accepted Tony. The first time he had called out his name. How he had saved him from that serious head injury, and their first, passion filled kiss. Tony gave in, and rubbed his arousal slow and hard against Loki's. The contact was minimal, so Tony quickly removed all of their remaining clothing. He rubbed against Loki again, causing them both to cry out this time. The god had reached his threshold, and rolled Tony onto his back, bracing his arms against the bedsheets. He pressed every inch of their bodies together, filling them with renewed desire.

Tony felt a deep emotion rise up inside him. He was happy being pleasured by this god, a sweet and sour mix of feeling jaded but satisfied beyond imagination. They both needed to sleep, so with a final nip to Tony's ear, Loki relaxed, letting most of his weight fall to the bed, but keeping their legs and arms intertwined. Loki liked this: enjoyed the feel of them just lying there together. He had to fight the urge to rock against Tony's toned, naked body, but soon tiredness won over them, and brought them into a deep sleep.

Long after sunrise, Loki's eyes flickered open. His body was tangled with Tony's, and it felt good. There was a bead of sweat on Tony's forehead: Was he too hot? Loki wiped it away, causing the other man's eyes to scrunch, as they fought the light. When he finally managed to open them, he looked up at Loki, bleary eyed and smug. Loki pressed a soft kiss to the man's lips, wiping the grin off his face, before getting up and stepping into the shower. Tony took that as an invitation.

The hot water cascaded over the men's bodies, refreshing them and waking them up. Loki found himself watching the streams of liquid pouring down Tony's chest, and could not resist the need to touch and feel him. He took the playboy's wet hands in his, and rested his forehead against Tony's. They both smiled, enjoying their freedom. They stayed like that for a moment, before Tony leaned in to kiss Loki again. He had never felt so elated as he did right at that moment. They had to go though. They were needed.

After a particularly steamy shower, Tony called General Fury, and asked him to send them a jet. Tony did not feel like taking another long train journey back to Geneva airport.

"Tony, after we've dealt with this..." Loki began, as they stood on the terrace, waiting for the jet to arrive, "lets come back here. Not necessarily this hotel, but..."

"Yeah. This mountainside. The view is perfect." Tony put an arm around Loki, before pulling him into a hug. It was reassuring, comforting to both of them.

Loki watched the Swiss scenery disappearing behind them as the jet gained height. He knew that they were going almost as fast as the Iron Man suit, far faster than the passenger jet they had taken from Rome. They would arrive at the heli-carrier within five hours. Loki was sad, looking back. He wanted to stay there really, but not at the cost of separating from Tony: He still needed him; needed to _be_ _with_ him. He took Tony's hand in his as they crossed the border into France.

High up from Earth, beyond the Milky way, and the galaxy we know: Far into the realm of Asguard, Thor received a message from a scout.

"My liege, I bring word from Heimdall." The soldier exclaimed, "He says that your services are required on Midguard." The soldier bowed,

"Tell me the nature of the task?" The scout's face paled,

"Ice Giants, My lord. They bring their frost down upon the Midguardian _shield_." The soldier clearly had misunderstood the meaning of shield in this context, but Thor did not care,

"Go on ahead of me, make sure the Bifrost is ready." Thor ordered, before leaving to fetch his horse.

Hawkeye and Black Widow were holding down the fort, covering the Hulk's back: not that he needed it. Dr. Banner had the Hulk under control, as he had been warned about the giants' strength before hand. Hawkeye and Widow were both ranged weapon users, so they were quite happy keeping their distance from the cold men who were advancing towards them. Steve Rogers was attacking from the rear, with Nick Fury and several S.H.I.E.L.D agents by his side. Together they all made a pretty good line of defence, however they needed that extra push. There were only a few of the giants left uninjured now, but they knew this was not the end of it. There would be more on their way as soon as this lot went down. They had not completed their task. Until they could overwhelm them, more would keep coming. They needed Iron Man, and they needed Thor. What they did not know, was that they would soon have an ice giant on their side too.


	10. Guns

As the jet finally reached the helicarrier, Tony could see the sparks and flares of guns shooting at the ice giants. They really were huge, almost twice the size of a human. The clouds were rolling in, promising to rain at any moment. Tony frowned: Rain and ice could not be to his advantage. He had his suit on before the jet had landed, wanting to be ready to join in. Loki had a great green cloak around him to hide his armour. They would not have time to explain the situation to everyone, so it was better to keep his identity hidden. If the Avengers and the S.H.I.E.L.D agents saw him with Tony, they would assume Loki was a good guy, so long as they did not see his face. His face was hidden in shadow by the hood of his cloak, but it could easily fly off in the heat of battle. Tony would have to explain to General Fury at the first opportunity.

Loki ran over to the nearest ice giant, raising his staff and swiping it like a ninja's bō staff. Tony flew towards another group, choosing to box with them, only to quickly discover that hand to hand combat was not ideal with ice giants unless you were a god. Instead he jumped back a short distance, and begun firing at them, as the rain began to pour down.

The god had not fought in a long time now. There was something strange about attacking an enemy when he held no anger. He was more focused, more agile, but there was no fun in the kill. Instead he wanted to find out why they were attacking. He wanted the violence to stop. The S.H.I.E.L.D agents around him were fighting with a variety of weapons, mostly different types of gun. There was one woman who he had not spotted before, who now held up a sword. She charged towards the ice giants, preparing to strike. Loki could not believe how foolish these mortals were: Was she throwing away her one life on purpose? He realized they did not understand how weak they were physically in comparison to beings from the other realms. The woman dodged a punch, and lunged her sword at a giant's leg, hoping to sever it and immobilize the creature. Instead the sword barely made a scratch, and the giant roared in annoyance. Loki had to move fast. He threw an ice dagger at the giant's head to distract it as he ran.

The S.H.I.E.L.D agent would not budge though, she kept swinging her sword at the giant, searching for a weak point. Loki knew that they did not have weak points though, the difference in level between human and ice giant was a wide gap. The woman took a defensive stance as the giant twisted its torso round to swing a punch. Loki knew it would take her head with it. The agent braced herself; fear appearing in her eyes only at the last second. She felt no impact though, and realized that she had shut her eyes. Years of training, and she had shut her eyes. She opened them to see a tall figure in front of her. His green cloak fluttered about as the rain hammered down on them. Loki had blocked the punch with his staff, and once he had solid footing, he used the momentum to strike back. He stabbed into the giant's heart, causing it to stagger backwards before falling to the ground. It was dead before it's head hit the floor.

The woman did not gasp, her training had not been that much of a failure, however she could not inwardly deny the shock at being saved by a stranger. She had known at that very last moment, that the punch would destroy her. Instead, she was still alive; breathing and blinking. She wanted to know who was under that green hood, but he was already gone.

Tony was making use of his vast variety of ammunition, blasting the giants with every short range ammunition he had. He could not risk damaging the helicarrier or hurting anyone on their side with the uni beam, but his basic weaponry was doing a good job of slowing the enemy down. Loki was doing most of the clobbering, being the only one there strong enough to do any real damage. Every now and then, Tony would take one down, but Loki was the one saving their lives. Loki under his deep green cloak. Tony was the only person there who knew his identity. He had meant to tell General Fury, but had been sucked into the fight upon arrival.

Suddenly there was a loud crack of thunder, as the Bifrost opened above the ocean. Tony looked up and face-palmed himself: Thor was arriving, and he had not had time to discuss this with Loki at all. The god was well trained though, and did not let himself become distracted. He continued fighting as Thor descended, flying out of the Bifrost before he could collide with the water's surface. He let Mjolnir pull him towards the Helicarrier, swinging it around above his head, ready to strike the nearest group of ice giants.

Loki saw the hammer hurling towards him, and jumped to the side. He refused to let himself have more reasons to be angry with Thor. They could sort out their differences later. He was in the middle of something: something that meant helping Tony, that meant saving him some grace. More than that, more than either of those things, he found himself wanting to protect these people. The S.H.I.E.L.D agent he had saved, he had felt good doing that. He did not even know her name, nor did he need it.

Thor smashed into the ice giants, knocking them out with Mjolnir, and shattering some of them. He did not spot Loki, nor could he recognize him under that cloak. His whole face was in shadow. Loki was momentarily amused by this, but knew that he could not keep his identity a secret forever. He could not ruin his efforts by allowing himself to be associated with ice giants at this point though: he would have to build up a reputation as this cloaked figure first. He also wanted to spend more time with Tony. He might no longer be a prisoner of Asguard, but the Midguardians still had a reason to lock him up for good. Their laws would not be lenient with him, even if they could not contain him.

When they had finished taking down that wave of soldiers, no more came. They decided that it must be the enemy reconsidering their next move. They would all have to sleep on the helicarrier. Loki said nothing, and let Tony talk General Fury into letting them share a room. Who was he to judge? He did not know who the man under the cloak was, nor did he know that it was a man. He nodded, knowing Tony would not bring anyone untrustworthy onto their base, and having seen this newcomer in action. Whoever they were, they were clearly on their side.

Once inside their own room, Tony scanned the room for cameras, then laughed quietly as he pulled up the hood of Loki's cloak. He had been worried while they were fighting, despite knowing that Loki would not lose to the ice giants. Thor had made the job quicker, but Loki had been fighting for far longer, and had barely broken a sweat. Now the god let his armour dissolve away, to show the shirt he had worn for the flight. There was a look of humour playing about with his eyes, delighting in the situation. Here he was, in a place where they would probably arrest him if they knew he was there, and they could do nothing to keep him and Tony apart. Tony removed the iron man suit, revealing his preferred black top and jeans. Loki wanted them off, but more importantly... He took Tony's hands in his and gave them a light squeeze, before pulling him closer, and wrapping his arms around him. He had been worried too. Tony had his suit, but under that he was human: breakable.

They could both hear the rain splashing down heavily outside. It thrummed against the window, cooling down the room. Loki tightened his hold on Tony, drawing in the masculine scent of him. He let the heat from Tony's body warm him, feeling those strong arms fold around him. This was bliss: This was how it should be. This was not something that an Asguardian or Jotun person could have given him. Tony nestled his head against the side of Loki's neck. He felt the short, dark hair brush against the sensitive skin, and then firm, lascivious lips and teeth grazing over the curve of his shoulder. He took a step back, removing his own shirt, and moved forward again, this time taking Loki with him. He backed the god up against a wall, glancing at him all over, deciding where to tease first.

Loki was not good at waiting, he reached down to grab Tony's leg, pulling it up so that his shin was against the hard metal of the wall. He began moving a finger in small circular motions, firmly around the back of Tony's knee. With his other hand, he created the same motions at the small of Tony's back. He arched towards, then against Loki, with the tension building up inside of him. Loki moved his hands up, reaching one further around his back, and the other to the inside of Tony's thighs. He stroked and massaged his hands up Tony's leg, slowing down playfully the higher he reached. Tony groaned, before leaning forward to press his lips to Loki's. He was hungry for him, ever so hungry, and after licking and biting as much of Loki's mouth as he could reach, he still wanted more. Loki growled as Tony reached his hand underneath the heat of him, and pressed his palm up to take hold of his muscle. Loki nipped the tip of Tony's nose in punishment, before gripping Tony's wrist, and turning him around. He used the weight of his body to pin Tony against the wall, before pressing to his chest, abdomen, thighs and groin, and rocking slowly, so slowly against every inch of him.

"Bastard." Tony groaned, unable to resist the sensation,

"Seducer." Loki replied huskily, his soft voice now rough and uneven. The sound was bait to Tony's mind. He needed more of Loki, wanted to hear him call his name in a fit of passion. Loki still had some control though: in fact he was taking over completely, smiling and teasing Tony with his eyes and dark words. "Come on Tony, we both know you cannot resist desire."

"Who said I was planning on resisting?" Tony's deep brown eyes flared chestnut and golden, fiery as his intentions.

Loki and Tony were breathing heavily against each other's necks, deep and hot. Loki could think only of all this man had done for him, and all that he wanted to do in return. Tony had broken into a sweat, and not because of the fight earlier. He reached up to run his hand down Loki's nape, before tipping his chin to suck at the flesh above Loki's collar bone. He licked all over the area, tipping Loki's head back and fisting his hand through the locks of raven hair. There was no mistaking that he was a god, and no mistaking that he was mischievous. Loki moved his hands to unbutton both of their trousers, before reaching for his own zip. Tony undid his, before Loki could slide both of them out of their remaining clothing. Loki was standing with his legs slightly apart, but as Tony went to reach for them again, Loki smirked. He rested his hands under Tony, before lifting him up to rub against him, and walked over to the bed, still holding him there. Tony's vision blurred and brightened, as the shocks of pleasure surged through him with each step.

Loki pushed Tony onto the bed, before kneeling over him and moving forward onto his elbows, so that he could pin Tony down again and lick over his jaw. He kissed his way down to the thick, dark hair on his chin, and moved his lips against Tony's, reminding him of the way their bodies had rocked together. Tony relished in the touches and stokes of Loki's tongue, but he was used to dominance, and eventually found the resolve to flip Loki onto his back. He rolled onto him, planning on teaching the god a few tricks that he did not know. Loki eyed him carefully, unsure of what to expect. He would let the mortal pleasure him, but he was new to this, and was surprised to find Tony's head moving daringly low on him. He began circling his own fingers around Loki's abdomen, making every part of him ignite with the sensuous roughness of Tony's hands. The firm movements made him more aroused, and just as he felt the tension in him growing stronger, Tony let the wetness of his tongue lick over the end of the muscle he now took in his free hand. Loki cried out in agony and pleasure as he was stirred painfully closer to his limit. He grabbed fistfuls of bedsheets in his hands, as Tony began stoking his hand up and down the length of him, finally releasing the tension. He had been planning on punishing Tony for making him wait so long, but now his mind blanked out with the playboy showing his true colours.

The god woke up later that night to the sound of gunfire. He sat up, ears prickling: he was suddenly on high alert. Tony was fast asleep, Loki assumed as a result of being used to the noises of the city. The god stayed sitting however, until he heard a distant crashing sound, followed by more gunfire. Was the next wave of ice giants here already? Suddenly there was a great thud against the door to their room, which jolted Tony awake. Loki scrambled out of the bed, and flexed his arms wide open to call back his armour. He had just enough time to grab the green cloak, and wrap it around him before the door came thundering down to the floor. Several ice giants stooped down to march into the room. Loki was torn between defending Tony and finding out information. Tony was already pulling on his boxer shorts and putting on the wrist bands for his suit. Loki took a chance.

The god allowed himself to turn ice giant blue, before holding out a hand to gesture for the enemy to halt. He deliberately let the fabric slide down his arm, to reveal more of the cold blue skin. The ice giants stopped in their tracks, unsure of how to proceed.

"You are too small to be one of us." One of them said through his teeth, "What trickery is this?" Loki pulled back the hood of his cloak,

"None see. I am Laufeyson. I will not ask you to retreat, but tell me why you came to Midguard. You attack this specific location, there must be something here that you want?" It hurt Loki inside to have to refer to himself as the son of his blood father. He could not stand to be associated with Laufey or Odin, but he would use it to his advantage if it meant giving Tony time to put on his suit, and provided him with intel at the same time. The frosty breaths of the giants came out in slow puffs of chilling air. They eyed him warily. They could not deny the respect due to the son of their fallen leader,

"There is nothing here of value to us. We were sent by one who is not our kind." One of them growled. They were edging closer, clearly intent on attacking at any moment. Tony had his suit on now, but Loki wanted to press them for more information,

"Who sent you? Who could possibly have control over your race? You never obeyed anyone who did not have Jotun royal blood in the past." Loki had to find out who was behind this attack, pulling the strings from afar,

"And that is why we answer your questions. We do not come willingly. War has torn our realm apart, and we do not wish to make more enemies, however a far worse threat is upon our heads." Loki's eyes widened. What could possibly have the ice giants so on edge? So out of sorts with themselves. "You want to know who sent us; why we have come to this place? Ask that question of yourself."

Tony, who had just woken up, was trying to grasp the conversation. He could see the blue of Loki's skin, which he had never seen before. The lines spreading across his face and hand, curving around in a strange and ancient pattern that showed the flow of his energy. Tony snapped out of his trance when he heard the last question,

"Loki, what are they talking about?" He was concerned. Why was Loki the same colour as the enemy? There was very little that Tony actually knew about the god's past, but he had assumed that Loki would tell him anything important in his own time. Now it seemed a little strange for Tony to be discovering the results of Loki's heritage. Years on Asguard, and the powers of Odin had kept him human in appearance, however his skin and eyes had changed now. Tony did not know that Loki had some command over his own appearance. Unlike the giants, Loki had a full head of hair, and was far smaller, the height of most tall men. The giants heads almost hit the ceilings, their legs bent slightly at the knee to prevent them from injury.

"Tony." Loki turned to look at him, searching his eyes. Tony could see a look of fear in the god that he had never seen before, of true terror. "They're here for the Avengers. They're the target. And the ice giants... they're only the beginning." Tony blinked,

"How do you know? Who sent them? Who was it?" Tony was full of a deep confusion at the emotion in Loki's eyes. That horrified look of dread,

"Thanos."


	11. Assistance

Warning: Does not contain spoilers however I have taken information from the comics which you might not know about, so there are about three potential spoilers. I don't think they will be all that shocking or poignant in the films, however I could be wrong... anyway read on if you don't care about that. And no, don't worry, I am not following the plot of one of the comics. It is only a few details that I checked.

"Thanos" Loki's fearful expression was also filled with a deep look of regret. What had he been hiding? Tony decided that they could talk about it later,

"Who is this guy? Another god?" He asked, unsure of what could possibly cause Loki's face to reflect so much horror. The god looked at his feet, then back at the ice giants. He could not keep them from attacking with respect alone. They were already raising their weapons. Tony could not understand why Loki was avoiding the question, or why this fight was even necessary? Why spill blood when they could work together and take this guy? Tony was about to complain, when one of the giants reached out with it's hand, grabbing Loki around the neck. Tony caught his gaze, and was shocked to see him drop his staff.

"I will fight you no more. This does not have to be. You were a proud race, survivors. Why ruin what you have left?" Loki spoke against the frost covered hand that clenched his throat,

"We have no choice." The giant replied, tightening his grip. Tony was torn, he could make them let go of Loki if he fired at them, but that would destroy the small hope that he was reaching for. He could not look away though, so he stayed alert, ready to fire if the hand around Loki's neck tightened any further.

"Y-You sacrifice your own freedom too? There is ah-a-always choice: denying the responsibility for your actions does not mean that you did not choose them." Loki began coughing, unable to breathe properly. His lungs were unable to fill with enough air, his focus wavering,

"What other option do we have?" The giant asked, taken aback by words that he had not expected to come from a member of his own race. "You speak differently... of alternatives. What changed you?" Loki could not reply, unable to speak. The giant was about to give in, and tightened his grip ever so slightly,

"Join us. Join the avengers. We'll help you fight back. We have a planet to defend too." Tony practically blurted out. He could not stand to see Loki suffer any pain, let alone this. Loki lost consciousness in the giants hands. He had seconds to get them to let go.

"Ah. It was you who changed him." The giant turned to address Tony. Something changed in the creature's expression, making him seem almost human for a moment. The giant let go of Loki's unconscious form, to Tony's relief. "What guarantee can you give us, that we will survive this uprising?" Tony wavered. How could he convince them to commit to risking all that they had left? This was genocide they were talking about.

"Who do you trust more? Us or Thanos. I'd trust a bad guy to keep his threats, but not his promises to hold back if you follow orders. If you join us, we'll defend each other. We'll have a chance at saving both our races." Tony could see he had not yet fully convinced them. The giant was still interested though, and was not yet assaulting him. The giants exchanged glances, communicating with their eyes in a way that Tony understood as needing to speak with their kin.

"Our King was killed by his son, the only heir to our throne. We chose not to trust him, who betrayed his own kind. He betrayed Laufey, he betrayed Odin, and then he took his rage out on this realm. Give us a good reason to trust him now. He is the god of lies." The giant seemed menacing, but nonetheless willing to hear an answer. Tony breathed, feeling the pressure on him to say the right thing. He searched himself, he looked over to Loki, and could not grasp the words he needed. He would have to go with the truth,

"The same reason I now trust him. He changed." There was silence, chilling and slow. The ice giants did not blink, only continued to stare at the tiny man in front of them. How small he must look to them, Tony was aware. He only hoped that his words were not equally insignificant in their eyes. They still had not struck him down, that was the thread of hope that he was counting on.

"We will return in the morning. We expect to meet with no hostility. Laufeyson will prove to us then that he can honour your promise to us. Then he shall make a vow that even the god of lies can not break." The ice giants bowed their heads ever so slightly, before leaving through the door, "Tell your men to cease fire." They called back to him. Tony ran out after them, and rounded a corner to where the gunfire could still be heard,

"Stop!" He called, unsure if they would obey or not. Everyone turned to look at him, as the ice giants came up behind him. "Don't shoot!" He called, as several agents presumed he was being ambushed, "they're retreating. Let them go." The giants looked up to their brethren, as if to ask 'oh we are, are we?' They cold see the look in the eyes of the ones who were behind Tony however, and they lowered their fists to join them. The giants all marched out of a door, Tony presumed to some sort of portal.

"Explain yourself." Demanded one of the S.H.I.E.L.D agents. They all lowered their weapons and marched over to Tony, wanting an extremely good reason.

"While you've all been trigger happy, my friend and I have been negotiating." He smiled at them all, as if they were pets that he was about to teach a new command to, "They're on our side now. Isn't that better? They're coming back in the morning to negotiate further. Nice huh?" he winked, before leaving to return to his room. He had missed getting a kick out of patronizing General Fury's subordinates. He needed to check on Loki now though. He had left him there unconscious, having almost been strangled to death.

Loki was sitting on the bed when Tony returned. He should have known that a god would recover far quicker from even a near death experience. The god was still in his armour, Tony presumed encase the enemy were still about. How would he explain that they might not be the enemy anymore? There were a lot of explanations that needed to pass between the two of them now. Loki knew this, and also knew that they would have to be explained tonight. He raised an eyebrow, querying what had happened while he had been lying there on the floor. Tony tilted his head, raising his own eyebrow, stating that he wanted to know who Thanos was. Loki rolled his eyes jokingly.

Tony went to sit beside the man, instinctively wanting to check him over for injuries before he interrogated him. Loki's looked away, smiling, before returning to meet Tony's eyes. He knew that he could not avoid the conversation any more than he could stall it,

"You know about the bridge?" The god asked, "When Thor and Odin assumed that I had died?" Tony shook his head. "Well I was on the bridge, and I fell." He left out the part about choosing to let go. "I fell through space for a very long time, and being me, I inevitably ended up in far worse trouble than what I had left behind." Tony could see the frustration in Loki's frame. He lay back on the bed, resting his head on his folded arms. "I landed on Sanctuary II. Thanos' vessel is huge... I would have tried to leave if I had known he was on it, but it was too late by the time I knew. That is how I got involved with the chitauri." Loki was uncharacteristically twiddling his thumbs,

"Loki who is he?" Tony could feel a strange familiarity with the name, as if he had heard it before.

"Thanos. You call him Thanatos." Loki continued. This name sounded more familiar, though Tony knew that he had no idea who this person was. He could see the look of dread returning to Loki's eyes, "He is strong, clever, and powerful. Far more so than I." Tony could see that Loki was having trouble getting to the point,

"He can't be anything that we can't handle. The avengers make a strong team. You know that, you saw us." Tony encouraged him. Loki smiled,

"That 'hulk' of yours is certainly formidable." Tony had been living with Dr Bruce Banner for the past few months now, and he never got tired of cracking hulk jokes whenever possible. He would serve him green tea just for kicks, or tell him he was getting too skinny. "But I'm afraid that we are out of our depth." Loki's gaze returned to the floor. Tony quickly reached out to take the god's jaw in his hand. He reassuringly pressed a kiss to his temple, before putting his arms around him. Loki leaned against the shorter man's shoulder.

"The ice giants are on our side now. You did it. They're coming back tomorrow. If they can shake off their fear; if even they can believe in the possibility of defeating him, then so can we." Tony smiled, finally telling Loki the good news. It took a moment for this information to sink in, before Loki's eyes widened and his jaw dropped slightly. He turned his head just in time to receive a hot, steamy kiss. His mouth was filled with the warmth of Tony's emotions, as though he could taste the pride on his lips. Loki wrapped his own arms around Tony, savouring their triumph. He had to break his own news to Tony now however. He did not want to ruin the sweetness of that moment, but he owed Tony so much more than his honesty.

They lay on the bed for a while, in each others arms, simply speaking with their eyes. Tony wanted to leave it until the morning, to let Loki have this moment of peace, but he knew that whatever he was still holding back was important. The sooner he knew, the better prepared he would be when they had to convince the ice giants that there was a possibility of winning this. Loki finally gave in, deciding that it could wait no longer,

"Tony," he drew in a deep breath, "Thanos, is the god of death." Loki let his breath out, relieved to have finally said what had been haunting him since he had met with that demonic soul. Tony slowly began to understand just how much trouble they were in.

"Ah." His mouth remained open. He would have difficulty sleeping now. Could a hulk take on something like that? Could the hulk plus the avengers, plus an army of Jotun warriors take on something like that? Tony knew that he should have panicked right then, but instead he yawned. They would have to face the god of death another day. Both of them managed to sleep after all.

Deep in the recesses of a well used mansion, there were several young mutants playing basketball. Their referee was in a wheelchair, enjoying watching his students making the most of their free time. They spent so many hours of the day training, that the professor had found ways to make their exercise less of a chore. Team work was crucial anyway, and what better way to teach it than through sport? In this particular game, he had asked them to restrain their unusual abilities, however as happened every day, they soon gave in to temptation.

The professor sighed, and was about to express his disappointment when his phone rang. He reached into his pocket, wondering who could possibly be in need of his assistance so soon after lunch. He looked to his students, who were all now using their powers, and ignoring his express wishes to play 'fair'. He looked down at his phone, to see that the caller had an unrecognised number. The professor frowned, and put the device to his ear,

"Hello?" He listened carefully, wanting to remember the voice of whoever replied,

"Professor Xavier? This is General Nick Fury." Charles sighed deeper this time. He knew exactly who this was. The supposedly 'secret' military organization were always sticking their noses into other peoples business, ruining perfectly pleasant afternoons such as this one. He looked over to his students again, then made a mental note that his afternoons were not what most people would describe as 'pleasant', though they were certainly lively.

"General, I hope you do not take this to heart, but neither I, nor my students will be getting involved with S.H.I.E.L.D." He was about to hang up, when the General began speaking again. There was a hint of urgency in his voice, one that Charles knew was rare in a commanding officer.

"Professor, I'm afraid that this is not a request. I know this sounds crazy, but we both know that you are used to crazy: We've been invaded by aliens, and now the aliens are considering allying with us, on the condition that we make the alliance as strong as possible. If we don't, we've got a full scale war with giants ice demons, and the god of death. Sound optional to you?" Charles paled at these last words. It was neither an order nor a threat. It was fact that they were needed. He had seen the chitauri invasion on the news, his academy being far away from the danger zone, though nobody was fooling him. If mutants were real, why not aliens? Why not gods from another realm? An alliance could surely do them no harm.

"What's the catch?" He asked, not for a moment trusting the unease lying under the surface of the General's request.

"They want proof. They want to see this alliance so that they know it exists, or they won't join it." And if they did not join, this full scale, inter dimensional war would become a reality. Charles did not like the sound of either outcome, however it was clear which path he should follow. He flipped his phone shut,

"Students," He called to the team who were now arguing over who was more overpowered, "X-Men. We have a meeting to attend."


	12. Assemble

Note: It has been requested by many that I make my chapters longer (yes I read all of your kind reviews). I currently aim for four A4 pages worth of writing, so writing longer chapters means waiting an extra day in between releases. At the moment, I'm writing one a day, or at least one every two days. This chapter is almost six pages long and took me far longer to write, so here's the deal: If you think this chapter was not worth the extra few days waiting, then I'll revert to plan A. I hope this keeps you happy. I do love reading your reviews and suggestions x

On the helicarrier deck, in front of a steadily growing crowd, Tony Stark stood in his Iron Man suit. He gulped at the sight of the fairly large battalion of gigantic blue men, representing the Jotun army. They were not lined up like soldiers however, they were all lounging around on the roof of the helicarrier, waiting impatiently. General Fury had sent several agents to serve them cold drinks, in an attempt to appease them for the time it was taking for the alliance to gather. He had spent the morning calling as many strong fighters as he could locate, including some of the ones he had little intel on. He was relieved when the X-Men arrived, making their numbers look a little more impressive.

As gradually, more powerful figures arrived, the ice giants began to look almost hopeful. Loki had assured them that each one carried equal power to them, if not in physical strength then in other ways. Professor Xavier explained the abilities of each of his students, and how they could be best utilized with this many allies. The students themselves looked more eager than taken aback, being used to seeing unusual looking people. The ice giants were comparatively normal to some of the new arrivals. When 'Spiderman' showed up Loki slowly begun to realize that not everyone had such a good dress sense as his own.

With each new arrival, the S.H.I.E.L.D Director slowly brightened up. This was beginning to look plausible. There was only one thing bothering him though. How had these giants been convinced to join them in the first place? Who had managed to get them to listen? They had not held back their fists on any of his agents, or any of the avengers. He looked over to the cloaked figure standing beside Tony. The dark green fabric reminded him of someone, though he could not place the image with a name. He trusted Tony though, and knew that he would not bring anyone dangerous with him. After this thought crossed General Fury's mind however, he looked over to the ice giants. Why would they cooperate at all? He could see the extremely uneasy look on Thor's face. The god was clearly unaware of how this had happened. Nick walked over to him, intent on asking for more information on the giants.

Tony was standing beside his cloaked companion, wondering what was going on in that head of his. They both knew that this plan had potential to work, but they were risking everything on the chance that General Fury had been able to gather enough fighters. Tony was beginning to worry that no more were coming. He was also beginning to worry that General Fury was very suspicious of them both. It was obviously strange that the ice giants would listen to him from an outsider's point of view: Someone who did not know the identity of the man under the cloak. Tony had explained about Thanos to him, so that he knew why an alliance was necessary. Tony was the money, but Nick Fury had all the contacts. They all had to work together if they were going to have any hope of defeating the god of death.

Loki gave Tony's hand a squeeze, and under the hood, he could just make out the god's eyes. He knew that they could not hide his identity for much longer. Tony realized that suddenly announcing this to the avengers was a bad idea too, so he nodded to Loki, before going to face the Director.

Nick Fury was listening to Thor's lengthy explanation of the battles between Asguard and Jotunheim, trying to squeeze the information out of him that was actually useful. Thor's explanations were decorated like stories, with vivid descriptions of the landscape, the journeys, the towering beauty of Asguard. All Nick wanted was to know, was why they were _here_. He was about to give up on Thor, when Tony approached them.

"Hey... I uh... I need to talk to you... Both, come to think of it." He was nervous of hearing their responses. Thor knew that Loki had left Asguard with him, but he did not know that Loki had in fact changed completely since he left. As far as Tony was aware, he was not even angry any more. The two men looked at him, both raising eyebrows. They had clearly known that he had been hiding something, but were not sure what. Thor was a little slow, but had probably guessed who the cloaked figure was. General Fury on the other hand did not know of the quest to help Loki, and would be even more shocked to learn that he was right here, on the helicarrier, saving their asses.

"Spit it out Stark." Nick's good eye told Tony that there was no room for humour in his explanation: The General was already tired from hearing Thor's rant about his personal history.

"Don't panic okay? Its Loki. He's uh, reformed." Thor's face lit up at this news, but Nick's grew evermore sour.

"_Don't panic_? The god who destroyed half the city is _reformed_? Please tell me this is not what I think-" Tony decided to cut him off before he dug his grave any deeper,

"He really has. And guilty or not, we need him. He's the only one who can convince the ice giants to join us, and we need them in order to take out this other guy... who believe me is far worse. I already told you that if they don't join us, they'll just keep attacking. Why try defending the earth from two enemies when we could fight one enemy with a whole extra army?" Tony had had to clasp a hand over the Director's mouth so that he could finish speaking. The General looked furious.

"Who is this worse threat?" Thor asked, concern lining the blue of his eyes,

"Thanos. You heard of him? Apparently he's the god of death... doesn't sound like a pushover to me." Thor's jaw dropped: clearly_ he_ _had_ heard of Thanos. General Fury clearly had not.

"Tony what is this? What has Loki got to do with this... wait-" Tony's hand returned to covering the General's mouth,

"He's the heir to the ice giant's throne. If he takes it up, they'll obey him, but only if he can guarantee their survival. That is the true purpose of this alliance. We're not just defending earth. We're defending... What's it called Blondie?" Tony turned to the god of thunder,

"The nine realms?" Thor looked bemused by Tony's choice of nickname for him.

"Yeah, that." Tony turned back to face General Fury. The man sighed.

"He's here isn't he? You're friend in the green cloak?" Nick gestured over to where Loki was standing. Thor nodded, "Wait, you know about this too?"

"He is my brother. And no, I was also only guessing. It is true that when I last saw Loki, he was showing signs of... alteration." The god looked hopeful. Tony saw his chance,

"Yeah, well he's made a lot of progress since he left Asguard. In fact as you saw, he was fighting _with_ us yesterday." He gave the General his most disarming smile. Nick rolled his eyes, finally deciding to trust the team that he had brought together.

"I will give him a chance. But if you think for one second that I won't attack him at the first sign of anything suspicious-"

"There won't be." Tony assured him. Fury caught the deep certainty in his gaze. He did not like this at all. Relying on someone who killed so many of their people, but Tony was completely at ease around the god, and it was true that he had clearly been on their side the day before.

"Tell him to remove his hood. I don't want any of the alliance getting a nasty shock later." General Fury ordered Tony. He smiled at his success before spinning on his heels to head back to Loki. He gestured for him to remove his hood, and step up to where everyone could see him. The god hesitated, before finally removing his cloak.

There were shocked gasps and muffled screams, as several people's hands flew to their mouths. The S.H.I.E.L.D agents were just as surprised as the Avengers Alliance, all wondering what was going on. Loki raised a hand to silence them. He would have to take control of the situation quickly if he was going to gain any real respect from the ice giants: they would not accept weakness.

"There is a larger threat here than I. Thanos, the god of death, has shown us his intention to destroy the Avengers, so that he can take over this planet. He has also threatened the only remaining ice giants. In joining forces we stand a chance at protecting these realms." He cut straight to the point, avoiding mentioning himself at all. He had to show that this was bigger than him, and bigger than just the people gathered around him. He glanced towards Tony. That was the signal. Iron man walked over to stand beside Loki, and began speaking in his slightly robotic voice: Tony thought that it sounded more commanding. He would also be taken more seriously with the metal face.

"I can understand your apprehension, but we need to look past that. We've got a hell of a fight on our hands if we don't get our act together, so lets start now." Tony nodded towards Thor, having explained what he had to do only moments before. He hoped that the god would know how to please the frost giants. Thor joined Tony and his brother where everyone could see them, always ready to give a speech. He cut straight to the chase however, and addressed the ice giants directly,

"Jotun warriors, if you join us I can promise you that Asguardians shall never again set foot on your land. We will keep Thanos at bay. I will return home after this meeting to seek further help from my fellow Asguardians. We have no wish to harm you, or see you harmed by others." He hoped that the ice giants were unaware that it was Loki who had tried to destroy their entire realm. Thor had often contemplated whether his brother had really wanted to cause so many to die, or if it had really been about wiping away his heritage. Loki had been more ashamed of his race than he had been angry at Odin, slaying his true father in the process. Thor glanced at Tony, wondering if he knew the true depth of the darkness that he had saved Loki from. Thor was not sure that he knew either.

The ice giants gradually changed their expectations over the next fifteen minutes, becoming more and more impressed by the powers of the alliance, and the speeches from those who stood with Loki. They knew that it was probably him who had slain their king, and attempted to take all of Jotunheim with him, but this was to be expected. They were not a race who were peaceful at heart: such a loss was sad, but it would not prevent them from saving what they had left. Their prince had clearly grown since they had last seen him. He was no longer naive or arrogant, and strong enough to lead. The report of this idea had come from a giant who had strangled the prince, saying that he made no attempt to resist, but could easily have escaped. He was gifted in sorcery as well as being quick and clever. He would suit them well as a king.

By the time the meeting finished, the ice giants left to discuss the matter amongst themselves, promising to come back later to relay their decision. The odds were against them, Tony knew, but towards the end it had begun to look like the tiny glimmer of hope had grown a little.

With the frost giants on their side, there was no telling who Thanos might send to attack next, so General Fury began increasing the planet's defence systems. He told an agent to set the alert to DEFCON 3, before heading to his office. He had many more heroes to call in for duty.

Far under the surface of Svartálfaheim, the dark elves were sharpening their blades. The Dökkálfr greeted the god of death with a hunger for chaos. They longed for action, and he was offering them protection from the sun's rays. They could not refuse. So they continued readying themselves for the battle that was finally coming. It had been a long time since their last journey to Midguard. So long that the humans had nearly forgotten. Only a few generations of dark elves had passed since that time several thousand years ago, and they had not forgotten the wishes of their race. They all thirsted for the blood of surface dwellers.

Thanos had predicted the betrayal of the frost giants. Their prince had been taken by Odin for a purpose, and despite wandering from the path that had been chosen for him, Loki was, in the end, a bridge between the Jotun warriors and those they had once fought with. He would become a creator of peace, just as the all-father had wanted. That is, unless an army of dark elves stood in the way, and Thanos had plenty more distractions to throw at the mortals.

The frost giants returned to the helicarrier with news of their decision. They were willing to side with Midguard on the condition that Loki became their King. Tony was growing more and more concerned about what this would involve. Would Loki have to move to Jotunheim after this was over? On some cold planet with no sun? Tony could not stand the idea of being separated from Loki at all, let alone having him sent somewhere so lonely. It would undo all the good that had come to the god over the past few weeks.

Loki was trying to search for an answer to the same question, wondering if it would be possible to appoint a different frost giant king in his place. He could not break a promise however, so he was not ready to make one when the condition was announced. He wanted to accept to gain their allegiance, but what if he did end up stuck on Jotunheim? That would be it for him, he could not bare the thought. He was also becoming suspicious of why the frost giants would want him as their king. He was smaller than them, only a little taller than most humans, and he would not do as well in the cold as they did, having grown up in a far warmer climate. He would die alone if he ruled over them on their land. The god made up his mind: He would simply have to try and talk them out of it.

Tony and Loki both asked the giants if they would be willing to consider alternatives, unknowing of each other's actions. Tony was concerned for Loki, but Loki was struggling between saving himself a lifetime of misery and saving the nine realms. It was not an easy decision by any means, and could only be solved quicker if the giants would accept his appointing a different leader for them. The ice giants refused flat out, not even willing to consider this option. The only way that they could trust him, was if he was willing to sacrifice his time for them. No other leader would be accepted. Loki knew now that his only remaining option would be to accept, or to lie to the giants. However lying, though it would seem a simple solution to most, would be a huge problem for Loki. He was trying to change, for Tony's sake as well as his. What good was any of this if in the end, he could only resolve his problems with more lies? No. He had to face this properly. He either lead the giants, or took them all down. If he failed in either of these options, the alliance would crumble away, and he would loose all the trust he was trying to gain.

Tony knew that the ice giants would not budge in their decision. He was so angry at that moment that he would have tried to defeat the whole battalion alone, if it were not for Loki. Tony knew it was strange, but he felt now that the god would not want so much destruction to take place because of him. And Tony was not so sure that he wanted to become _that_ person either. He could only hope that Loki would not accept. He would rather fight the whole Jotun army than let Loki leave.

Loki had made his decision. He had tried to destroy Jotunheim before, in cold blood and selfishness, but he was no longer capable of causing so much bloodshed. No. He would accept the condition. He could see clearly now that it was the only path ahead of him. Whatever might happen, he could not let himself down that way, any more than he could let Tony down. He still hesitated, even as he gradually approached them again. Should he tell Tony first? He realized how awful it would be to have to explain to Tony, before leaving him for good. He could not just go either though, as the fight would come first. He buried his head in his hands. He could not keep the giants waiting for an answer any longer. He had to show that he was capable of leading. He waited until Tony went inside for a drink, before speaking with the giants.

The Jotun Battalion raised their fists and roared upon hearing that their condition was to be met. They knew the god would keep his word. If he did not: they would destroy him. It was that simple. They also knew that very few would come to his defence. This fact alone, showed that he was trustworthy. They could join the Midguardians without worrying having to worry about a betrayal after the oncoming fight.

Loki tried to make his exit appear normal, but he wanted to rush away as quickly as possible and lock himself inside his room. He wanted to hide under the covers and to not have to explain to Tony at all. He was not a child though, and it would be completely unfair on Tony to put him through that. They both had enough to deal with already, without added drama from Loki. He could not believe that he was going through with this, but he knew now that there was no alternative.

When the god finally closed the door to his room, he found himself panicking. How _would_ he explain to Tony? Would he have to pretend that he was okay with this? That he was feeling fine? Suddenly there was a loud rapping on the door. Loki winced, not willing to speak with anyone at that moment,

"Loki open up! What were you thinking?" Tony sounded both angry and hurt, as Loki had feared. He blinked back the wet in his eyes, and willed his voice to be steady,

"I-" He turned to face the door, "It seemed obvious. I couldn't decline! They would have attacked that instant." His voice did not waver or betray the pain he was truly feeling. He heard Tony swear,

"Let me in Loki. We need to talk about this. There's a load of smug looking giants out there saying you're their king." Tony was desperate to convince the god to change his mind. Loki swallowed, before smiling pleasantly and unlocking the door. Tony barged straight in, slamming the door behind him, "What is that expression? You look like you just passed an exam. Loki I'm serious, this is wrong!" The god tried to look taken aback,

"Wrong? What is right then? Causing the enemy to resume their fight?" He kept his tone level, but firm,

"No of course not, but you could have talked to me first! We could have found another way-" Tony was cut off,

"No, I spoke to the giants: they were not willing to accept an alternative." Loki was beginning to falter, with this conversation costing him even more than he had thought,

"I'm not talking about the giants! I'm talking about you leaving me! It won't work Loki, I can't..." Tony's eyes were wet now, slow streams of tears flowing down his cheeks. Loki bit his lip,

"What would you have me do? Break my word?" His voice cracked, giving him away entirely. "I just can't do that Tony... I can't undo everything..." Tony was so frustrated and upset that he almost missed the scream. Confused, the two looked straight over at the door, taking a moment to register what was happening. They both rushed out of the room in the direction of the terrible sounds, running down the corridors and shoving through the crowd of S.H.I.E.L.D agents. What was going on? The frost giants could not be attacking...

On the helicarrier deck, were several dark, ghostly forms. They were blacker than pitch, with long tendrils of hair trailing behind them. They were flying across the deck, leaving black smoke behind them, making it hard to see what was going on. The shocking yellow of their eyes were just visible in the dark clouds. Tony saw that they were attacking everyone, clawing at the agents, and throwing curses at the frost giants. Loki's eyes were wide with shock. They should not be here: the dark elves were all dead.


	13. Dark fight

The dark elves swarmed around the helicarrier deck, as Tony tried to get a target lock on one of them. His technology was not able to recognize them as solid matter though. He tried scanning them, but he could not even lock onto them as physical objects,

"Loki what are they? They must be organic..." He was confused, how could these things be anything other than biological beings?

"They're ghosts Tony. They're dead. They died a long time ago, in a great war. I know because they would not normally be able to survive in such a warm climate..." He ducked to dodge a dark elf heading straight for him, "and because Asguard was involved in that war." He raised his staff, and began firing hexes at the living dead creatures.

"Ghosts? You can't be serious-" Tony began, as a dark elf hit him square in the chest. The shock absorbed into the armour mostly, but the elf went straight through him, knocking him over. They weren't solid, but they were still there. Tony fell flat on his back, disorientated. How could that be? He still struggled with the whole idea of magic being real. Science was all he knew, all he felt capable of understanding. He quickly realized that the only way he was going to be able to accept this was if he put logical reasoning behind their existence, "Okay, so what do I blast them with?"

"I don't know." Loki replied. "You can't use magic, they would normally be adverse to heat, but it doesn't seem to be hindering them..." He thought for a moment, "Wait..." He turned to face Tony, "They're adverse to heat, and they're focusing their attacks on the frost giants. What does that tell you?"

"They're staying near the colder beings... Oh." Tony fired his smaller missiles at the space above the frost giants, scattering the dark elves away from them. "Oh. Well that works. You got any fire power?" He asked. Loki grinned. So they materialized around heat. The Ironman suit could lock onto them, now that they were spread out, away from the frost. Loki grinned. He had plenty of spells involving fire. Destruction had been his favourite subject after all. He began aiming blasts of hot energy at them, causing them to disperse even more. Between the two of them, they finally began to even out the numbers a little, so that the others could see where to aim. The S.H.I.E.L.D agents were finally able to hit them with their guns, and thor could finally aim his thunder. Captain America was defending the agents, having realized early on that his shield was having no effect on the strange creatures. Their infinitely dark forms were creeping him out too.

Tony was struggling. He was normally sharp, with well trained reflexes, but right now they were failing him. He was distracted by the hurt he was feeling. He was an adult, and he knew how to push emotion aside when he was in the middle of a fight, but the idea of Loki leaving him was bringing out something deeply sad from the depths of his memories. The very idea of trying to go back to how things were before, without him, felt completely wrong. When this fight was over, he would find a way to keep them together, no matter what it took. He would kidnap the god if necessary.

Once they had finally fought off that wave of dark elves, the alliance re-grouped to plan their next move. Thanos thought he had the upper hand, keeping them on the defensive, but if they were to launch an all out attack, they might stand a chance. For that to work however, they would need more information about what they were up against. Loki and Thor had to take turns filling in the gaps, briefing them all on the information they had.

After the discussions were over, several things became very clear: Firstly, that this was going to be extremely difficult, and secondly, that Thanos' real target was the tesseract. He needed the avengers out of the way in order to take it for himself. What they did not know, was what specifically he wanted to do with it. The tesseract's power was vast, and though they did not know everything about it, they knew that they could not let it fall into the enemy's hands.

Tony had stayed for the important part of the meeting, but listening to Loki had been making his head spin. When they moved on to planning, he left the room. What use was he where science wasn't involved? He would fight with them when the time came, but for now, he had to get out of that room. He walked slowly down the corridors, scratching his head, ruffling his hair and trying to slow his breathing. He had taken his anger out on the dark elves, but the sadness was eating away at him, and the thought of how lonely he would become if he could not find a way to keep Loki by his side. Fresh air, that was what he needed.

The roof of the helicarrier bared no evidence of the fight that had taken place moments before. Only a few people had been seriously injured, and they had all been taken inside. The frost giants had agreed to attend the meeting, after seeing the evidence of their leader's loyalty to them. Tony still did not trust them, but for now, he would have to. He walked over to the metal railing that ran down one side of the roof, opposite from where the jets all sat. Staring down at the city below them, and the expanse of towns and suburbs surrounding it, he felt himself relaxing slightly. All those signs of life were a comfort to him, knowing that his troubles were only big in his mind, and that he would find a solution when the time came. He rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand, only realizing then that the tears were falling. He smiled, and found himself laughing a little. He had let himself wallow in a misery that might not ever hit him. He was _Ironman_ for crying out loud, surely he could find a way to keep the two of them together.

Tony stood there, gazing out over the city, and simply admiring all that they had achieved so far. They had saved an entire city, brought together an amazing team, and even got two gods on their side. It sounded like a pretty good basis for him to believe that he could achieve happiness in a relationship too. He just had to find the right solution. That was when something appeared in the distance. What was that? Tony squinted. There was something large and white heading towards him. He stared on, and could just make out the beating wings of some large beast. Astride the creature sat a warrior. He could not make out the appearance of either well, but he readied his missiles encase. As the figures approached however, Tony could make out the clear markings of Asguardian armour, worn by a woman on horseback. There was a warrior princess coming towards him on a flying horse, was he dreaming? Tony's brow furrowed as the horse came to circle above him once, before swooping down to land. He lowered his arm.

"Greetings mortal. I am Lady Sif of Asguard, I come baring an urgent message for your uh..." She trailed off,

"Gang?" Tony offered.

"Whatever." She responded uncharacteristically. Clearly she was a little flustered, "Are you one of the Avengers? Thor told us of the man of iron who courageously redirected a fiercely destructive weapon, towards the enemy, and almost sacrificing himself in the process." She was pacing around him now, looking him up and down. She soon appeared to decide that she would need someone with an even more valiant reputation than the one she had just described, because she changed the subject entirely, "The infinity gauntlet is missing. I must speak with Thor: It is of most urgent importance that we find out who-" Sif was interrupted by Tony, who cut her off by gesturing for her to stop, raising his hand,

"My _lady_," He began, unable to resist an attempt at a more medieval tongue, "It is with great humbleness, that I assure you of my knowledge that the stolen artefact is in the hands of the god of death." He hastily added, "And that we will retrieve it shortly." He smiled. She gave him a once over again,

"Well that is a relief good sir, and do you happen to know what the infinity gauntlet is?" She was giving him a knowing look, speaking in a tone that told Tony he was in trouble,

"I assume it's some sort of glove..." He retreated to his usual style of speech, unable to give her any answer that would sound impressive,

"It grants the wearer command over time, space, mind, soul, reality, and power in all of existence." She was still teasing him, but there was a hint of deep fear in her tone, even under all those hardened layers of the warrior she was.

"Oh... that sounds... oh." Tony quickly lead her inside. Clearly this was more urgent than she was letting on. Everyone's morale had been fairly high after learning more about Thanos and his weaknesses, but now it seemed as though they did not stand a chance against him. Sif took charge of the meeting after introducing herself, and Tony slipped out again. He had a sinking feeling that was making his stomach churn. What were they going to do now? Was there anything that they could do? They could fight, sure, but it sounded like they'd be wiped out at the click of Thanos' fingers. Tony thought about that for a moment. Shouldn't they already be wiped out by now, if the gauntlet was already in his possession?

Tony returned to his room feeling deflated. He was utterly drained emotionally. That was when Loki entered the room,

"Tony..." The god had clearly not been expecting to see him in here. He fell silent, and made a move to leave again. Tony lost control right then. He ran forwards, and pulled the god into his arms.

"Loki I can't do this, I simply can't." Tony stated. Loki looked like he was leaning over a cliff right at that moment.

"Us?" Loki breathed after a few seconds had passed,

"No. I can't do _not_ us. I can't focus, I can't fight. I can't get anything right because this is completely _wrong._" He tightened his grip around Loki. The god winced, willing himself to stay strong.

"What else is there Tony?" Loki forced the words out. So long as he kept reminding Tony that there was no other solution-

"I'll go with you. I'll become a frost giant, whatever it takes. Infuse me with Jotun blood, freeze me until my body adjusts. Just don't leave without me." the words burst out of Tony. Loki stared,

"I'm sorry Tony. Only Odin carries that power... he wouldn't..." Loki's eyes hurt with how hard his face was screwed up, trying not to cry,

"He might! He's let me speak to him before!" Tony insisted,

"Tony I-"

"Why not? You don't even want me to ask-"

"I don't want you to become a frost giant!" Loki yelled. Tony fell silent, realizing what he had been asking for, and the depth of horror that was consuming Loki. Neither of them wanted this.

"Right, well that's that then." Tony spoke shakily, turning his gaze towards the floor, "I'll be useless in the battle but I'll do what I can. If we both survive this, we'll work this out afterwards."

"Tony..."

"_Afterwards._" Tony could barely manage speech now. "We can't do this while we're at war. I don't wan to speak to you until Thanos is dead." The words cut deep into both of them, ripping open old wounds, far deeper than they had ever cut before. Loki could neither say, or do anything, as Tony herded him out of the room, and locked the door behind him.

* * *

Note: Don't worry I'm about 4/5 way though the plot at this point. I promise to continue it. I apologize for long gaps in between updates, and for this chapter being so short – I don't want to prolong your misery so the next chapter will be up asap x


	14. Loss

Author's note: I decided to be merciful and not drag out the fighting, cause lets face it, you're not here to read that haha. I don't want to spoil any upcoming films by telling you too much of that plot anyway, so forgive me for any time skips – its so that you don't have to read the words 'pain' and 'sorrow' a hundred times. This deviates a little from the original storyline in the comics anyway.

The war raged on for weeks when Thanos brought the battle directly to earth. He had gained too much power with the infinity gauntlet, and as a result, decimated millions of people. The god of death defeated and imprisoned many cosmic entities, before finally leaving his own body to become the living incarnation of the universe.

Thanos' body lay amongst the rubble of of the destruction he had caused, unguarded. A woman approached the lifeless shell, before kneeling down beside it. She would have smiled, but the destruction caused by this man had gone too far, even by her standards. She removed the gauntlet, before sliding her own hand inside. She had never wished for this level of devastation.

Nebula raised her hand, and invoked the power that would reverse the damage done to the universe, restoring balance to the cosmos. Thanos was returned to the prison of his body, and in one final battle, was defeated by the alliance.

Loki was defending a school from a hoard of dark elves. The teachers were rounding up the students, and ushering them inside, while the god held the Dökkálfr at bay. He sent hexes flying at them through the barrier he was holding up, but they continued advancing. He was about to be swarmed by them, when suddenly, they began to vanish. One by one they faded back into death, until they were all gone. Loki stared. What was happening? He had been plagued with sadness for days now, and he would have welcomed death if she had taken him. Instead, he had been spared. He looked around him, and slowly realized what was happening. Buildings were re-building themselves, injuries healed, and souls returned to their bodies. Minutes later, everything had been restored.

The ex-Jotun monarch was relieved beyond comprehension that the damage had been undone. He had lost someone very dear to him in that war. When the news came of Tony's revival, Loki was utterly and completely speechless. He had to see for himself. He had fallen into the deepest reaches of despair upon hearing of Tony's death, and been deemed unfit to rule by the frost giants. They had refused to follow such an emotional creature, and retreated to Jotunheim, leaving him truly alone. But now there was hope for him. Could it be true? Could Tony really be alive again?

Loki remained silent as he stood up, and followed the messenger outside. The rubble had gone; the buildings restored; the countless lives lost, now returned to this realm. Loki staggered forwards, unable to focus on anything but the one thought: the beacon of hope in his mind.

Tony had bitterly regretted every moment of every second that passed since he had told Loki not to speak to him. He now rose to his feet, trying to understand what had just happened. The last thing he remembered clearly was herding civilians into a shelter, but from what he could see, the fight was over. There was no visible damage in sight. What had he missed? And how had he missed it? He felt a sudden wave of nausea hit him, as time caught up with him. He knew in that moment, that he had died. But here he was, alive and uninjured. He needed to know what had happened, but more importantly, he needed to end his misery by finding Loki. Dying without him... that had been the worst thing. Coming back to find him gone: that would be worse. He had to know that Loki was here too.

Loki searched long and hard for any sign of Tony, but there was simply too much chaos. There were people everywhere, dancing in the streets, laughing and singing the praises of the avengers. Loki tried to avoid the crowds, knowing he would never find Tony if he was in there, but was inevitably swallowed by the growing gathering of people. He squeezed past the humans, who were jumping up and down, shouting and squealing with joy. Loki was pleased for them, deep down, but right now, he needed to be selfish. He had to find Tony, _now._

Tony was weaving his way through the thrum of people. His life had been saved, but his suit had been restored to the state it had been in before he had died – out of juice. He desperately scanned the crowd with his eyes, repeatedly getting knocked backwards by the moving bodies. Suddenly he glimpsed something gold, black and green. He pelted forwards, pushing past people and tripping. He finally reached the figure, and put a hand on his shoulder. The man turned to face him, a complete stranger, in a green t-shirt with a gold chain. Tony's face fell. His knees were about to buckle with the sheer disappointment, when two strong arms wrapped around his waist from behind. A familiar, but shaky voice whispered in his ear,

"I'm so glad you're alive." Loki's eyes were streaming great rivers of tears, as Tony spun around to face him. He reached out and flung his arms around the god's neck, before pulling him into a long, deep and welcoming kiss. He did not care that they were surrounded by people, and at that moment, he did not care that Loki would be leaving him. He simply had to reassure himself that this was real, and that he was really here, back in his arms, alive.

Loki shivered in Tony's arms, too overwhelmed with emotion to hide his obvious adoration for the man. He nipped at his lip, and kissed wherever he could reach, claiming back the man he had missed too much,

"Don't you dare do that again." Loki mumbled between kisses, "I lost my position because of you." He grinned, as he continued pressing his mouth around the side of Tony's neck,

"You're not king?" Tony breathed. Was it possible that Loki did not have to leave? Tony could not wait for Loki to finish kissing his jaw, and pulled him away to let him speak,

"No: foiled again." Loki let out a truly jubilant laugh, before pressing his mouth fully against Tony's feeling the warm moan of pleasure erupting from within him. Hearing something so beautiful, whilst being kissed by the man who meant everything to him, was more than he could bare. Tony gave in completely, surrendering to the need to take Loki all for himself.

While the chaotic celebrations continued, Tony and Loki made their way to the what used to be Stark Tower, but was now a base of operations for all of the avengers. Tony had finished packing for their flight an hour later, and had his private jet ready to go in forty minutes. He happily pulled on his headgear, signalling for Loki to do the same, before they took off.

The hotel was just as they remembered it, quiet, peaceful and serene. Except that everyone was dancing about and singing, and cheered when they entered through the entrance. Everyone knew – the team that had fought for so long to defend them. The damage had been undone, but everyone remembered. The gauntlet affected one aspect at a time, and clearly whoever had taken it, had not bothered to make everyone forget the horror of that war. Tony was sad that people would have to live with those memories, but he also knew that without them, the frost giants would return for Loki. As it was, they had no reason to leave Jotunheim, now that the universe was safe for the time being.

After checking in, the two men could not have walked fast enough to their room. The moment the door was closed, they began tearing off each others clothes, leaving them lying in a heap on the floor. They were both completely naked by the time they reached the bed, and their mouths were already locked together,

"Skin, I want your skin." Tony groaned as Loki finally lowered himself on top of him. They rocked and rolled about together, feeling every inch of each other with their hands. Each sought comfort from the other, needing the reassurance of their bodies' solidity. Loki made an intensely human noise; a mix of joy and pleasure, as he claimed every part of Tony's mouth. He ran his tongue along Tony's lower lip, then his teeth. Tony sucked on Loki's tongue, stroking him with his lips. He then lowered his head, to kiss his way down the god's toned chest; running his hands along the length of Loki's thighs.

They released each other's tension, and finally fell asleep, lying naked on top of the bed covers. Loki slept well that night, for the first night in far too long. Though the physical damage had been reversed, time had still passed, and Loki was exhausted; drained both in body and mind. He dreamt of returning home, of apologizing to his father. He showed Tony all of his secret places to visit in Asguard, and introducing him to all the citizens. He did not feel as though he had paid for his crimes, but he desperately wanted to be loved by his people again. The frost giants had nearly turned his heart cold, but they had left him swiftly when he became lost. He knew now that Odin would never have done that. It was Loki who had let go on the bridge, and Loki who had earned a prison sentence. He had caused so much damage, and in return, after being released from his jail cell, he had been gifted with the return of his power.

Loki awoke the next morning with a single thought: he had to return to Asguard, and he would take Tony with him. He wanted nothing more now than to earn his father's forgiveness, and his people's forgiveness. He would do anything the all-father asked of him, if it would get him a step closer. He sat up, before looking down at Tony. He let out a small laugh. His lover was lying there like a baby, still holding onto Loki's arm. Suddenly the god leant down to kiss Tony, rousing him from his sleep. He kissed him over and over again, before Tony finally managed to wrestle him onto his back.

"Much as I love my new alarm clock, you really should let me shower first." Tony yawned, before climbing off of Loki, and stumbling into the bathroom. Loki lay there for a moment, pondering this request, before deciding that he was the god of mischief after all,

"No. You're taking a bath, not a shower." He replied simply. He stood up, and barged past Tony to turn on the taps.

"Excuse me?" Tony asked automatically, before Loki's hot mouth came to meet his. "Oh. Right. Yeah I guess I am." He smiled, allowing the god to adjust the temperature of the water. When the bath was full, Loki stood upright and made a gentlemanly gesture for Tony to go first. Tony raised an eyebrow in response, before climbing in. He had been expecting Loki to climb on top of him, but instead he slid in on the opposite side to face Tony. It suddenly dawned on Tony that this was all that Loki had really wanted. He simply needed them to be together,

"Loki... when I died," Tony began,

"No. You didn't die. You're here." Loki stated, unhappy with the sudden change of topic,

"I know I'm here now, but-"

"So we don't need to talk about it." Loki insisted. Tony sighed,

"We have to be able to talk Loki. Look what happened last time..." Tony could feel a terrible knot in his chest tightening: He needed Loki to help him untie it. "That was my fault, I know." Loki eyed him carefully, and rested his arm on the side of the bath, and his chin on his knuckles. He sighed quietly,

"It was hell. I was with the frost giants when I heard." He stated coldly. Tony knew that cold was directed at them, and not him, "They saw my expression; knew I would be of no use to them. They laughed at me, threw ice at me, and then left." Loki paused, needing to explain this without reopening the wound, "I couldn't move for hours. When I finally did, it was because I heard a scream outside. The war was still going on, so I did what any soldier must do." He finished there, knowing the rest was clear. Tony was not shocked or surprised, only more sorry now that he had heard it from Loki himself,

"You carried on. You protected the people." Tony smiled, filled with pride,

"I'm not an Avenger Tony. I was angry, so angry, but I was also tired. You had already rid me of all the rage I was capable of expelling, and I had already fought for weeks by that point. All I had left was the knowledge that those people needed help, and that I had the power to save at least some of them. I don't know what good I did now, but at least the ones I helped were spared the same memories that I had: of a loved one's death." Loki looked up at Tony, as a single tear rolled down his cheek. "But you're here now, like you said. I'll move on."

"I'll help." Tony smiled, "I'll be here to remind you I'm here. In fact I'll be here for you so much that I'll probably start to get on your nerves" His smile broadened to a grin.

"Probably." Loki grinned back, splashing water into his face.


	15. Gift

Author's note: Sorry this took unbelievably long for me to get round to writing! I've been incredibly busy writing other fan-fiction stories, as well as the two novels I'm working on, plus all my video editing and artwork... so here you are! The long awaited, and final chapter fifteen of Frost Iron Rise. I would also like to apologize, having finally realized I have been spelling Asgard and Midgard incorrectly for the previous fourteen chapters. I know this is rather short, but I don't want to ruin it with babble. Enjoy!

* * *

The eminent celestial city of Asgard was a welcoming sight to both men. Loki was nervous, but determined. Tony was only concerned for his lover. This confrontation with Odin was always going to be a challenge, but it was unavoidable, as Loki wanted to make amends. They strode in through the blinding, golden framed doors, down the arched halls, and up the gilded spiralling staircases that lead to Odin's throne room.

Loki hesitated outside the towering oak doors. Tony reached out, and gave his hand a squeeze,

"Hey, what's the worst that can happen? He won't throw you back in jail." he reassured him.

"...Lets just hope he is in good spirits." Loki replied gratefully. He swallowed, then knocked on the doors. When no reply came, he nudged Tony. "You speak," He urged him in a whisper, "If I speak to him directly without warning..."

"You think I'm any higher up in his good books?" Tony jested, before knocking on the door again,

"Your majesty! I've returned with Loki-" He did not need to continue, as the doors opened at that moment. "Well at least he's not ignoring us." He chirped. They walked forward into the room. Loki was taken aback by the sight of the all-father, as nothing could have prepared him to see him for the first time in so long.

"Come forward, my son." There was a stern and serious expression on the god's face. Loki walked up to kneel before him, while Tony remained at the back of the room, twiddling his thumbs. They had been hoping to support each other for this, but they could not defy Odin's commands if they wanted this to go smoothly. Loki's eyes were on his father's feet, his head bowed and his breathing uneven. "Raise your head, Loki"

Loki looked up, to see the old man smiling down at him. He could not believe his eyes. There was a hint of something in his father that he had never seen before. What was that? Odin rose from his throne, and walked towards Loki, who suddenly felt like a child, confused and lost all over again. Who was this man in front of him, who did not vaguely resemble the man who had raised him?

"I am sorry Loki." The all-father began, "I did not trust in you when I should have. I put tradition over wisdom, and gave your brother too much credit at times. Your mistakes are no more extreme than my own. But never, have I been more proud of you, than when I heard of your battle on earth. Did you not fight against Thanos' army, and protect the people of Midgard?" He paused, as tears of joy began cascading down his son's cheeks. "And now you return, in this humble state, to announce that you have changed, and found love within yourself? _Of course_ you have my blessing!" Loki fell forward, his forearms hitting the floor, and his fists holding him there. As he wept, Tony had to fight hard to stay put. He wanted to go over there, but he knew it would be wrong to interrupt.

The two gods spoke for a while, before Odin finally signalled for Tony to join them. He walked over nervously, unsure of how to deal with this. Speaking with Odin before had been challenging enough, but introducing oneself as the lover of his son, was a daunting prospect. In fact, Tony had been preparing to launch into his cocky manner of speech, but as he approached the two gods, he felt a strange wave of calm sweep over him. He remembered to keep his eyes on the ground, and kneel when he reached the all-father.

"Greetings Midgardian," Odin began. It was a step up from his previous summary of Tony 'Human', "Heimdall has been reporting to me both the progress you have made in helping Loki, as well as your triumph against the god of death. I also hear that you once died in the battle." Tony nodded. "And while this was going on, I have been told that you formed an alliance with my son." Tony nodded slower. Did Odin understand the nature of his relationship with Loki? "You need not worry for Loki. I had been aware for a long time that he showed no interest in women. I do however, take issue with him falling for a citizen of Midgard. The people of your realm have betrayed us, and your people are now unworthy of my son's presence." Loki looked up at his father, aghast,

"Father you cannot mean... am I to be separated from..." Loki's eyes became full of so much sadness. After all that they had been through together, and finally being left by the frost giants, only to loose at the final hurdle: that would be too much for him to bare.

"I believe I said his people were unworthy of your presence. This man has proved himself to hold a greater power than that of a god. He has brought me my son, and shown a selflessness beyond what I had imagined Midgardians to be capable of. I gave you my blessing, and I shall not take it from you." Odin explained.

"Then how-?" Tony blurted, but the all-father raised his hand to silence him,

"I will give you two choices. You can either return to Midgard, and set out to regain their loyalty to Asgardians, or you can become one of us, and remain here." He dropped the bomb shell. Tony was taken aback by the offer. Become a god? Live here? He looked around him, then at Loki. Could Loki ever truly be happy if he stayed here now? Could Tony? He could see the plea in Loki's eyes,

"I'm needed on earth." Tony responded, "And so is Loki." He knew this was a dangerous challenge, but it was not a fight he could afford to loose.

"You believe yourself unworthy of becoming an Asgardian?" Odin asked, his stern expression returning. Tony nodded. He was deeply egotistical, but not for one second did he believe that he was comparable to the people who lived in this world. He felt like more of an equal to Thor perhaps, but there was still something about the place that left him feeling small. "Very well then." The god's face lit up, "I shall return you to Midgard, however you will always be welcome here Tony Stark." Odin smiled, for the first time addressing Tony with his name. A moment later, there was a great flash of light, and the whole colour spectrum whirled around him and Loki, before they landed on earth.

They appeared to be in the middle of a meadow, surrounded by trees and a small wooden fence. Tony blinked. Loki rose to his feet, while Tony simply sat there, disorientated. Loki laughed, and helped him up,

"We did it!" He chuckled, pulling Tony towards him into a warm embrace. "I cannot believe it." the remaining tears drained away from his cheeks, as he kissed Tony's mouth. Tony's eyebrows raised, and he wrapped his arms around the god. A moment later, he was pulled back by some invisible force. Loki looked up at him, surprised,

"I didn't do that." He commented. Tony gave him a sardonic look, but then his arms spread wide open, as he rose from the ground, and began to hover there.

"Uh, what's happening?" Tony was more than a little uncomfortable with this. Nothing freaked him out any more, but he was unnerved by the fact that neither of the only people present were causing him to float. Loki shrugged, just as a great light burst out of Tony. Great beams of gold, red and cold blue shot out of him, before rebounding, to circle around Tony, encasing him, and bathing him in the light. Loki ran forwards, but then stopped in his tracks, realizing what must be happening. A broad grin spread across his face, as the light shone around them in a great pool. A human would have been blinded, but they were both gods now. When the light finally faded to a more subtle glow, and Tony was standing on the ground once more, he was dressed in fine, elaborate armour, black, red and gold. His arc reactor was still there, but it felt more powerful somehow, maybe even stronger than a human heart. Tony looked down at himself, admiring this new look, still in shock.

"I feel... hungry. Starving in fact. Lets go get a take-out." He suggested. Loki laughed, and the two gods strode off through the meadow.

* * *

**Epilogue**

When Thor entered his father's throne room, he had not been expecting the great grin that remained consistently on his face, and the real smile in his eyes. In fact it was so rare, that Thor almost pinched himself, to see if he was really awake,

"You called for me Father, has something happened?" He asked cautiously,

"Thor, my son. Your brother returned to us. He is truly worthy of his title. I sent him back to Midgard just now with his companion. You should visit them." He explained. Thor beamed, thrilled for his brother, and the news of his safety. He had known before his father that Loki had changed, but to see the delight in Odin's eyes was another great reward. Thor thanked his father, before heading for the bifrost.

As Tony and Loki walked into Burger King, the queue remained where it was. Despite the presence of the two gods, they still wanted their food. Typical, Loki thought to himself, but secretly he did not care. He was amused in fact, to think of how outraged he would have been by this behaviour in the past, and how he might react now, if Tony were not standing beside him, looking miffed by the queue's length. The people in the restaurant stared at them in silence regardless, but after a moment, someone chirped up,

"Hey, isn't that the guy from TV?"

"Yeah, didn't he-?"

"Oh its that dude! With the magic powers and shit!"

"Is that Tony Stark with him?"

Loki burst out laughing. Tony waved at the woman who had recognized him. Loki elbowed him,

"What? You know I don't swing that way no more?" Tony joked, in a light mocking tone, "Besides, the only thing I'm lusting over right now is that extra large, double bacon cheese burger – No offence." Loki laughed, but leant forward to whisper in Tony's ear,

"You say that now, but I could have you begging for me at any time." As Loki's hot breath tickled his ear, Tony gulped,

"I don't doubt that reindeer games."


End file.
